---'/  -"'  -i   -  • 


.  W  CALIF.  LIBRARY.  LOS  ANGBLE9 


DREAM  OF 
EMPIRE 

Or  THE  HOUSE  OF 
BLENNERHASSETT 

By  WILLIAM   HENRY  VENABLE 

AUTHOR  OF  "A  HISTORY  OF  THE  UNITED 
STATES," "  LET  HIM  FIRST  BE  A  MAN/'  &c. 


YORK     -     •     DODD,  MEAD 
AND  COMPANY     .     .     ZMDCCCCI 


Copyright,   1901, 
By  DODD,   MEAD  AND   COMPANY. 


TO 
EMERSON    VENABLE 


2133333 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE. 

I.     An  Eccentric  Visitor I 

II.    A    Noted    Character    Arrives    in 

Pittsburg    16 

III.  Pillars  of  Smoke 28 

IV.  Plutarch  Byle  Makes  a  New  Ac- 

quaintance      39 

V.    In  the  Ladies'  Bovver 45 

VI.    Doctor  Deville  and  His  Lucrece. . .  62 

VII.    Conspiracy  71 

VIII.    Diamond  Cut  Diamond 82 

IX.    Don't  Forget  the  Bitters 97 

X.     "Now  to  My  Charms  and  to  My 

Wily  Trains." 1 18 

XI.    Palafox  Grows  Insolent 127 

XII.    Snaring  a  Philosopher 137 

XIII.  The  Enchanted  Ground 150 

XIV.  A  Largess  of  Coronets 169 

XV.    "There  be  Land  Rats  and  Water 

Rats."    181 

XVI.    A    Patriot    not    to   be   Tampered 

With 193 

XVII.    The  Busy  Note  of  Preparation 205 

XVIII.    The  Voyage  of  the  Buckeye 218 


vi  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  PAGE. 

XIX.      Arlington's  Ride , .  . .  234 

XX.      Mostly  Love  Matters 247 

XXI.      Pro  and  Con 262 

XXII.      Not  a  True  Bill 269 

XXIII.  The  Fatal  Cipher 278 

XXIV.  The  Midnight  Departure 286 

XXV.      Heroine  and  Hero 297 

XXVI.  Out  of  the  Net  into  the  Trap. ...  3 J  2 

XXVII.      Flight  and  Surrender 326 

XXVIII.     What  Became  of  Them 333 


A   DREAM   OF   EMPIRE. 

I. 

AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR. 

IT  was  the  first  of  May,  and  the  sun  had  passed 
the  noon  line  in  a  bright  sky,  causing  the  shadow 
of  Peter  Taylor  to  fall  east  of  north  and  infusing 
his  substance  with  the  delightful  languor  called 
Spring  Fever.  Leaning  upon  an  idle  spade, 
Peter  watched  the  lazy  motions  of  a  negro  slave 
whom  he  had  directed  to  trim  a  level  lawn  orna- 
mented with  flower-beds.  The  English  origin  of 
the  overseer  was  revealed  by  his  looks  and  in  his 
speech. 

"Scipio,  'ave  you  'oed  the  corn?" 

"No,  boss,  but  I's  jes'  gwine  to  ten'  to  it  right 
away." 

"Well,  make  'aste.  Daniel  and  Ransom  can 
'elp  you,  and  tell  Honest  Moses  to  get  the  south 
patch  ready  for  the  watermelon  seed." 

Scipio  received  his  orders  submissively,  and, 
shouldering  a  hoe,  sauntered  towrard  the  corn- 
field, and  was  soon  hidden  by  a  clump  of  young 
weeping-willows,  the  sunny  green  branches  of 
which  trailed  to  the  darker  verdure  of  the  sward. 


2  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Screened  by  the  drooping  foliage,  the  shirking 
menial  cast  his  body  on  the  grass  to  store  up 
energy  for  anticipated  toil. 

Meanwhile,  the  taskmaster,  having  issued  com- 
mands to  his  black  subordinates,  felt  justified  in 
neglecting  his  own  duties,  in  a  dignified  way,  by 
seeking  a  shady  retreat  in  which  he  lingered  con- 
templating the  charms  of  Nature  and  the  pleas- 
ing results  of  his  own  skill  as  a  landscape- 
gardener.  The  prevailing  aspect  of  the  sur- 
roundings was  wild,  though  several  acres  of 
cultivated  land,  including  a  fine  lawn  with 
gravelled  walks  and  drives,  attested  that  much 
labor  had  been  expended  in  reclaiming  a  portion 
of  savage  Nature  from  its  primeval  condition. 
The  plantation  occupied  the  upper  end  of  Blen- 
nerhassett  Island.  Standing  on  a  knoll,  with  his 
back  to  the  "improved"  grounds,  Peter  took  in 
at  a  sweeping  glance  a  reach  of  gleaming  water 
which  flowed  between  woody  hills  overhung  by 
a  serene  sky.  He  saw  the  silver  flood  of  the  Ohio 
River  which,  coursing  southward,  broke  against 
the  island,  dividing  its  broad  current  into  two 
nearly  equal  streams.  He  admired  the  meadow 
slopes  of  Belpre,  on  the  Ohio  side,  and  the  more 
dimly  seen  bluffs  of  Wood  County,  on  the  Vir- 
ginia border.  The  tourist  of  to-day,  standing 
where  the  gardener  stood  on  Blennerhassett 
Island  a  hundred  years  ago,  sees  in  the  northern 
distance  the  iron  framework  of  the  Parkersburg 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR  3 

bridge  spanning  the  river,  so  far  away  as  to  show 
like  a  fairy  web  in  the  air.  Beyond,  as  if  issuing 
from  the  heart  of  the  hills,  the  river  blends  with 
the  purple  mist. 

Having  "bent  the  quiet  of  a  loving  eye"  upon 
the  river  and  its  delightful  valley,  the  English- 
man turned  his  ruddy  face  toward  the  chief  build- 
ing on  the  island,  a  frame  structure  of  odd  ap- 
pearance, painted  in  dazzling  white  save  the 
window  shutters,  which  were  vivid  green.  The 
mansion  consisted  of  a  main  edifice  fifty  feet 
square  and  two  stories  high,  with  a  peculiar  por- 
tico in  front,  projected  not  in  straight  lines,  but 
forming  a  semicircle,  embracing  within  the 
curvature  of  its  outstretching  arms  a  favored 
area  of  door-yard.  The  proprietor  of  the  estate 
had  chosen  the  site  and  designed  the  plan  of  this 
his  residence  with  the  double  purpose  of  indulg- 
ing a  fancy  for  architectural  novelty  and  of 
providing  against  disaster  by  lightning  and 
earthquake.  Never  did  it  occur  to  him  that  fire 
and  flood  were  the  elements  he  had  most  reason 
to  fear:  each  of  these  ruinous  agents  was  des- 
tined, in  turn,  to  devastate  the  island. 

In  the  rear  of  the  fantastic  dwelling,  and  not 
far  from  it,  stood  a  row  of  log  cabins  for  the 
negroes  who  served  on  the  place,  and  a  cluster  of 
barns  and  stables  abundantly  stocked.  All  the 
houses  were  new,  and  the  adjacent  cultivated  land 
showed  many  signs  that  it  had  not  long  been 


4  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

tilled,  or  even  cleared.  The  rank  soil  retained  its 
quick  fertility,  as  could  be  seen  in  the  thrifty 
growth  of  peas,  beets,  radishes,  and  early 
potatoes,  flourishing  in  the  "truck-patch."  The 
plum  and  the  peach  trees  had  cast  their  bloom; 
the  cherry  blossoms  were  falling  like  snow;  the 
flowers  of  the  apple  loaded  the  air  with  fragrance ; 
the  red-buds  were  beginning  to  fade;  the  maples 
and  oaks,  just  starting  into  leaf,  hung  full  of  light 
green  tassels. 

The  vegetable  close  had  irresistible  attractions 
for  the  gardener,  and  this  drew  his  laggard  steps 
from  their  idle  excursion,  back  to  the  freshly 
spaded  spot  enriched  by  leaf  mould,  and  carefully 
picketed  against  the  incursions  of  scratching  hens. 
Here  he  busied  himself  in  planting  lettuce  seed, 
forgetful  of  Scipio,  who  lolled  sleepily  in  the 
shadow  of  the  willows. 

The  drowsy  bondman  was  just  sinking  into 
slumber,  when  his  attention  was  aroused  by  a 
plashing  noise  followed  by  the  sound  of  whis- 
tling. Glancing  in  the  direction  of  the  disturb- 
ance, his  eyes  fell  upon  the  ungainly  figure  of  a 
man  who  was  stooping  at  the  water's  edge.  The 
negro  got  upon  his  feet,  and  approached  the 
stranger,  who  at  first  took  no  notice  of  him,  being 
absorbed  in  puzzled  observation.  A  cut  of  lean 
meat,  encircled  by  a  row  of  stones,  lay  immersed 
in  a  pool  caused  by  an  eddy  in  the  river. 

"Banged  if  I  can  make  out  what  this  hunk  of 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR  5 

raw  beef  is  put  here  for,"  soliloquized  the  visitor. 
"The  minnies  are  nibblin'  it  away.  I  wonder  if 
this  here  Mr.  Bladderhatchet  means  to  feed  all  the 
fish  in  the  Ohio  on  beefsteak.  Hello,  Cuffey,  what 
do  you  want  ?" 

'Ts  not  Cuffey,  sah ;  I's  Scipio." 

"Well,  I's  Byle,  Plutarch  Byle,"  said  the 
stranger,  raising  his  gaunt,  gawky  figure  to  a 
posture  which,  though  far  from  erect,  revealed  a 
stature  so  much  above  the  average  height  that  the 
negro  stepped  back  a  few  paces  and  stared  with 
astonishment.  Plutarch  Byle's  feet,  hands  and 
head  seemed  somewhat  too  large  for  his  trunk 
and  limbs,  but  were  quite  in  harmony  with  the  big 
joints  of  his  knees,  elbows  and  wrists.  His  at- 
titudes were  grotesque  and  his  gestures  awkward. 
Light,  curly  hair  covered  his  head;  his  nose  was 
long  and  inquisitive ;  his  eyes,  big,  blue  and  good- 
humored;  his  mouth,  incredibly  wide,  with 
shrewd,  mobile  lips,  which  habitually  smiled.  A 
tuft  of  yellow  beard  on  the  end  of  his  sharp  chin, 
gave  his  face  a  comical  expression  resembling 
that  which  caricature  bestows  on  Uncle  Sam. 
His  voice  was  pitched  in  a  high  key,  and  was 
modified  by  that  nasal  twang  supposed  to  indicate 
Yankee  origin ;  but  a  habit  of  giving  his  declara- 
tive sentences  an  interrogative  finish,  might  de- 
note that  he  came  from  the  mountain  regions  of 
Pennsylvania  or  Virginia.  A  pair  of  linsey  pan- 
taloons, a  blue  hunting  shirt  with  a  fringe  of  red 


6  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

and  yellow,  moccasins  of  tanned  leather  and  a 
woollen  hat  were  his  chief  visible  articles  of  dress. 

Scrutinizing  Scipio's  features  as  he  might  in- 
spect a  wonder  in  a  museum,  Byle  interrogated 
him: 

"Potterin'  about  for  greens,  I  reckon?  Do  you 
belong  here,  Af ricanus  ?" 

The  only  information  drawn  from  the  slave 
was  that  the  proprietor  of  the  island  had  bought 
him  in  Virginia. 

"Bought?  Consarn  my  bones !  How  much  did 
he  give  for  you  ?  Look  here,  Sambo,  if  I  was  a 
Roman  general,  like  you,  and  in  your  fix,"  said 
Byle,  pointing  with  his  left  thumb  over  his  right 
shoulder  and  winking,  "I'd  skite  over  to  the 
Buckeye-side  of  the  water  and  forget  to  pay  for 
myself.  Don't  you  know  what  the  Ordinance  of 
'87  says?  'No  involuntary  servitude  in  said  ter- 
ritory.' I  agree  with  John  Woolman,  that  nig- 
gers are  our  feller-creatures." 

Turning  abruptly,  the  tall  man  moved  with 
long,  slow  strides  in  the  direction  of  the  white 
house  with  green  shutters,  talking  continually, 
more  to  himself  than  to  the  perplexed  negro  who 
followed  at  his  heels. 

"Wonder  how  things  are  growing  in  the  front 
yard?  By  gum!  that's  a  fine  Italian  poplar! 
Guess  the  old  Coot's  at  home.  Maybe  that 
youngster  is  one  of  the  little  Bladderhatchets ! 
Say,  sonny,  come  this  way." 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR  7 

The  sentence  was  addressed  to  a  lad,  who, 
bounding  from  the  portico,  ran  nimbly  toward  the 
intruder.  The  boy  was  prettily  attired  in  a  mili- 
tary costume,  and  wore  a  toy  sword  at  his  side 
and  a  gay  feather  in  his  cap.  He  was  followed  by 
a  brother  smaller  and  much  less  jaunty. 

"What  might  your  name  be,  now,  bub?  By 
crackey,  you've  come  out  in  full  blossom,  haven't 
you,  like  a  red-bud  bush  ?  What  do  you  say  your 
name  is?" 

"Dominick." 

"Dominick,  hey?  I've  seen  many  a  young 
dominick  rooster,  but  I  never  saw  one  with  finer 
feathers  than  yours.  Suppose  you  flap  your 
wings,  and  crow  for  us,  like  a  fighting  cockerel." 

"I'll  not  crow;  I'll  stick  my  sword  through 
you !" 

"Jerusalem  artichokes!  He  wants  to  kill  me 
with  his  tin  sword !  Dominick,  I  give  in.  If  your 
pappy  is  about  the  house,  tell  him  to  come  out ;  a 
gentleman  wants  to  ask  him  something." 

Before  a  summons  could  be  served  on  Mr.  Har- 
man  Blennerhassett,  that  person  appeared  emerg- 
ing from  a  wing  of  the  long  porch.  Being  ex- 
tremely near-sighted,  he  could  not  distinctly  see 
the  man  who  awaited  him  until  the  distance  be- 
tween the  two  was  diminished  to  a  few  steps. 
The  uninvited  guest  without  ceremony  opened 
conversation. 

"How  d'ye  do?    I  am  Mr.   Byle — B-y-l-e — 


8  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Plutarch  Byle.  Of  course  everybody  knows  you 
by  reputation,  Mr.  Bladderhatchet — " 

"Blennerhassett." 

"It's  a  prodigious  long  name,  ain't  it?  Too 
long,  in  my  opinion.  You  can  have  it  shortened 
by  law.  I'm  told  you're  from  Ireland.  You  don't 
look  much  Irish,  nor  you  haven't  a  bad  brogue. 
I  s'pose  you've  got  your  naturalization  papers  all 
right.  This  administration  is  rather  easy  on 
foreigners,  especially  French,  for  Jefferson  has 
Frenchy  notions.  President  Adams  was  rough  on 
emigrants — maybe  too  rough ;  he  wanted  to  sock 
it  to  them  hard  by  acts  of  Congress.  What  is 
your  opinion  of  the  Alien  and  Sedition  laws  ?  I 
favor  them;  I'm  a  Federalist  to  the  marrow-bones. 
I  don't  reckon  you're  a  United  Irishman,  Mr. 
Blanner — " 

"Blenner,  if  you  please — Blennerhassett.  I  be- 
long to  the  order  of  United  Irishmen,  but  I  pre- 
sume your  errand  here  is  not  to  discuss  politics. 
Your  looks  denote  that  you  affiliate  with — shall  I 
say,  the  common  people,  the  humbler  class? 
What  is  your  business  here,  my  good  man  ?" 

"Rattlesnakes  and  brimstone !  Me  your  good 
man!  Me  of  the  humbler  class!  Why,  Squire 
B.,  we  have  no  humbler  class  on  our  side  of  the 
Ohio.  But  you  needn't  apologize ;  I'm  not  huffy. 
You're  new  to  the  country  and  your  blunders  are 
excusable.  I  happened  along  this  way — " 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR  9 

"My  time  is  valuable,  I  must  ask  you  to  be 
brief.  What  do  you  want?" 

"You're  a  bigger  man  than  I  calculated  to  see ; 
you're  a  large-sized  citizen,  full  six  foot,  I  should 
guess,  and  you  stoop  consider'bl  in  the  shoulders, 
like  myself.  The  Byles  are  all  built  that  way. 
But  your  feet  are  smaller  than  mine,  and  I  should 
think  you'd  feel  awk'ard  in  such  toggery  as  them 
red  breeches  and  shoe  buckles." 

"You  are  impertinent,"  snapped  Blennerhas- 
sett,  turning  from  his  rude  critic.  "If  you  have 
nothing  to  tell  or  to  ask  that  is  of  any  importance, 
make  off,  for  I  can  be  detained  no  longer." 

"Hold  on,  neighbor ;  I've  heaps  yet  to  tell,  and 
lots  more  to  ask.  The  first  thing  I  noticed  par- 
ticularly when  I  landed  was  that  puddle  up  there, 
with  the  hunk  of  raw  meat  soaking,  and  I  would 
like  dangnation  well  to  know  why  you  put  that 
meat  in  that  puddle  ?" 

Annoyed  beyond  endurance,  the  lord  of  the 
island  would  have  hurried  away,  but  he  was 
diverted  from  his  intention  by  the  unexpected 
conduct  of  his  guest,  who,  suddenly  dropping  on 
all  fours,  fell  to  examining  with  the  liveliest  inter- 
est a  wild  plant  which  had  forced  its  stem  up 
through  the  sod. 

"Do  you  know  what  that  is?"  asked  Plutarch 
of  the  two  boys  who  stood  near  their  father,  per- 
plexed by  the  dialogue  to  which  they  had  listened. 


io          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

They  shook  their  heads,  when,  glancing  up  at 
Scipio,  the  questioner  repeated,  "Do  you  know?" 
and  not  waiting  for  a  reply,  "That's  snakeroot; 
smell  it!"  He  plucked  a  portion  of  the  herb, 
rubbed  it  between  his  thumb  and  forefinger  and 
thrust  the  bruised  substance  first  under  his  own 
nose  and  then  beneath  the  reluctant  nostrils  of  the 
disdainful  Master  Dominick. 

Mr.  Blennerhassett  was  himself  a  botanist,  or 
desired  to  be  considered  one,  and  his  eagerness  to 
become  familiar  with  the  flora  of  his  vicinity  so 
far  overcame  offended  formality,  that  he  also  got 
down  on  his  knees  and  directed  his  imperfect 
vision  to  the  pungent  specimen.  The  two  men, 
each  an  oddity,  presented  a  ludicrous  picture  as 
they  knelt  on  the  grass,  their  heads  almost  in  con- 
tact, and  their  long  noses  only  a  few  inches  above 
the  object  of  their  scrutiny. 

"Yes,  Virginia  snakeroot,  and  I  couldn't  ex- 
pect it  to  sprout  up  in  this  open  place.  This  is  a 
different  thing  from  the  Seneca  rattlesnake-root; 
there's  more  cure  in  an  ounce  of  this  than  in  a 
pound  of  that.  I'll  wager  five  shillings  to  a  six- 
pence that  I  can  name  you  nine  out  of  ten  of  the 
medicines  and  dyestuffs  growing  on  this  island." 

"If  that  is  the  case,"  said  the  Irish  recluse, 
scrambling  to  his  feet,  "I  shall  be  glad  to  avail 
myself  of  your  knowledge.  There  are  many 
vines,  shrubs,  and  trees  flourishing  here,  the 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR         n 

names  and  qualities  of  which  I  greatly  desire  to 
learn  and  many  herbs  which  perhaps — " 

"I'm  your  man,  neighbor;  I'm  your  man. 
There  are  three  things  which  I  calculate  I  do 
know  by  experience :  the  first  is  fish,  the  second  is 
game,  and  the  third  is  yarbs." 

"What  is  the  third?" 

"Yarbs.  Anything  that  grows  wild.  I'm 
acquainted  with  pretty  much  every  critter  that  has 
seed,  flower,  leaf,  bark  or  root.  I  fish  a  good  bit, 
and  I  doctor  a  good  bit." 

"You  doctor,  fish  and  hunt,"  repeated  Blen- 
nerhassett,  his  attention  now  completely  captured; 
"I  myself  prescribe  simple  remedies  and  I  am 
fond  of  the  sports  you  mention,  though  a  defect 
of  vision  interferes  with  my  shooting." 

"If  you  like,"  proposed  Byle,  "we  will  prowl 
around  this  very  afternoon  and  study  physic  to- 
gether. I  call  the  wild  woods  God's  apothecary 
shop." 

Blennerhassett  was  convoyed  to  the  depths  of 
the  island  forest,  where  the  strangely  assorted 
pair  conversed  intimately  on  the  virtues  of 
pleurisy-root,  Indian  physic  and  columbo.  Byle 
discoursed  on  the  high  price  of  ginseng,  and  the 
new  method  of  preparing  that  specific  for  the 
Chinese  market ;  recommended  the  prompt  use  of 
succory  to  cure  a  snake  bite,  and  the  liberal  ap- 
plication of  green  stramonium  leaves  to  heal 


ii          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sores  on  the  back  of  a  horse.  He  advised  Blen- 
nerhassett  to  acquire  an  appetite  for  custard 
apples,  which,  he  said,  regulated  the  bowels. 

On  returning  from  the  excursion,  Blenner- 
hassett  hurried  into  his  library,  lugging  a  basket 
filled  with  botanical  specimens ;  and  Byle  prepared 
to  leave  the  premises.  Before  starting,  he 
beckoned  the  gardener,  who  sulkily  responded  to 
the  sign.  The  pertinacious  visitor  was  proof 
against  repulse.  No  social  coolness  could  chill  his 
confiding  ardor.  He  took  Peter's  arm,  and  with 
a  backward  jerk  of  the  head  declared  interroga- 
tively : 

'The  Mogul  is  sort  of  queer,  isn't  he?  A  screw 
loose  somewhere,  eh?" 

"Well,"  responded  Peter  cautiously,  "yes  and 
no ;  he  is  queer  and  he  isn't  queer.  He  has  plenty 
of  book  learning  and  plenty  of  money,  and  a  fool 
can't  get  much  of  either.  Folks  say  he  has  every 
kind  of  sense  but  common  sense." 

"At  first  he  didn't  want  to  be  sociable.  I  asked 
him  a  civil  question  about  a  public  matter,  and  he 
shut  up  like  a  clam.  Now  can  you  tell  me,  as  man 
to  man,  why  the  deuce  that  hunk  of  beef  is  put  to 
soak  in  that  puddle,  up  at  the  head  of  the  island  ?" 

Peter  chuckled  in  the  contemptuous  manner  of 
a  practical  man,  without  sympathy  for  speculative 
genius. 

"That's  one  of  his  chemical  experiments.  The 
man  is  always  up  to  something  of  the  kind.  The 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR          13 

carcass  of  a  dead  'og  was  dug  up  on  the  place,  and 
his  Honor  noticed  that  it  had  turned  into  some- 
thing like  tallow,  and  he  takes  the  notion  that  the 
water  here  has  power  to  change  flesh  into  solid  fat 
— hadipocere,  he  calls  it — which  he  thinks  may  be 
used  to  make  candles." 

Byle  listened  to  the  solution  of  the  lean-meat 
mystery  with  waning  attention,  for  before  the  ex- 
planation was  concluded  his  roving  eye  caught 
glimpses  of  an  apparition  more  interesting  than 
the  gardener's  dry  sarcasm.  He  discerned, 
through  openings  in  the  boscage  fringing  the 
river  bank  on  the  Ohio  shore,  an  object  like  a 
scarlet  flag  flying  rapidly  along. 

"Greased  lightning!  What  strange  bird  is  that 
coming  down  the  river  road?  A  woman  on 
horseback,  sure  as  Easter  flowers!  Two  of  'em, 
one  in  red  and  one  in  black.  Don't  they  make 
them  animals  cut  dirt  ?  I  wouldn't  miss  this  sight 
for  a  hogshead  of  tree-honey.  Why,  it  beats  a 
Pittsburg  horse-race  on  the  Fourth  of  July !" 

"Oh,  it's  mamma !  It's  mamma  and  Miss 
Evaleen  coming  back  from  Marietta,"  shouted 
Dominick. 

A  gang  of  colored  men,  led  by  Honest  Moses, 
poled  an  unwieldy  scow  to  the  Ohio  shore,  took 
the  dashing  equestriennes  on  board  and  ferried 
back  to  the  island. 

The  announcement  that  their  mistress  was  ap- 
proaching caused  a  general  flurry  among  the 


14          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

servants,  male  and  female,  and  several  of  them, 
headed  by  the  boys,  hastened  down  to  the  land- 
ing to  receive  the  ladies.  Byle  was  not  the  man 
to  let  slip  such  an  opportunity  of  taking  a  look 
at  the  paragon,  whose  charms  of  person  and  bril- 
liancy of  mind  he  had  heard  many  tongues  extol ; 
and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  join  the  family  group 
on  the  river  bank.  His  curiosity  was  amply  re- 
warded by  the  vision  of  fair  women  which  he  be- 
held. 

Madam  Blennerhassett  stepped  from  the  ferry- 
boat, beaming  smiles  of  motherly  fondness  upon 
her  children.  She  wore  a  riding-habit  of 
scarlet  cloth  embroidered  with  thread  of  gold,  and 
a  snow-white  hat,  adorned  with  long  plumes  of 
ostrich  feather.  The  rich  attire  did  not  blind 
Plutarch  to  the  natural  beauty  of  "the  woman  her- 
self." She  was  of  regal  stature,  graceful  bearing 
and  animated  face.  Her  buoyant  step,  her  rising 
bosom,  her  clear,  rich  voice  evidenced  the  vital 
glow  of  maturity  in  a  woman  still  young — a  June 
rose  blooming  in  May. 

Byle,  pressing  nearer,  noted  that  the  madam's 
hair  was  brown;  her  eyelashes  long;  nose, 
Grecian;  lips,  ripe  red.  When  he  had  fixed  her 
image  on  his  mind,  and  was  meditating  the  pro- 
priety of  making  friendly  inquiries  concerning  the 
purpose  and  results  of  her  excursion  to  Marietta, 
her  large,  calm  eyes  searched  his  countenance 
with  a  look  of  offended  dignity,  which  caused  his 


AN  ECCENTRIC  VISITOR        15 

tongue  to  cleave  to  the  roof  of  his  mouth.  Speech- 
less for  the  moment,  but  not  blinded,  Plutarch 
withdrew  his  optics  from  the  imperious  dame,  and 
took  an  instantaneous  brain-picture  of  her  com- 
panion, a  light-footed,  quick-glancing  girl  about 
eighteen  years  of  age,  whose  arrival  put  little 
Harman  into  an  ecstasy,  and  gave  manifest  de- 
light to  the  servants.  Her  blithe  manner  and 
cheerful  voice  won  Byle's  complete  approbation, 
and  led  him  to  describe  her  as  one  who  "  'peared 
not  to  know  there  was  a  valley  of  the  shadder  of 
trouble  here  below." 

Madam  Blennerhassett  instructed  Moses  to 
take  care  of  the  horses,  and  side  by  side  with  the 
winsome  maiden  walked  from  the  landing  to  the 
house,  followed  by  a  retinue  of  servants. 

Thus  abandoned,  Plutarch  Byle  plodded  his 
way  to  his  skiff,  pushed  the  light  craft  from  the 
sandy  beach,  ensconced  his  gaunt  person  on  the 
rowing  bench,  seized  the  oars,  and  pulled  up 
stream,  saying  to  himself : 

"She's  the  compound  extract  of  Queen 
'Liz'beth  and  Cleopatry;  but  why  didn't  she  take 
a  fancy  to  a  good-looking  Federalist  like  me,  in- 
stead of  throwing  herself  away  on  a  near-sighted 
United  Irishman  with  silver  shoe-buckles?" 


II. 

A  NOTED  CHARACTER  ARRIVES  IN  PITTSBURG. 

ON  the  last  day  of  April,  1805,  more  than  the 
usual  number  of  guests  crowded  the  bar-room  or 
lounged  about  the  open  door  of  the  Green  Tree,  a 
popular  tavern  on  the  bank  of  the  Monongahela, 
in  Pittsburg.  The  proprietor  had  found  difficulty 
in  providing  refreshment  for  the  swarm  of 
hungry  mechanics,  farmers  and  boatmen  who 
elbowed  their  way  to  a  seat  at  his  famed  din- 
ing-table.  To  the  clatter  of  dishes  was  added  the 
clamor  of  voices  making  demands  upon  the  de- 
canters, which  yielded  an  inexhaustible  supply  of 
rum,  whiskey  and  peach  brandy. 

In  the  throng  of  bar-room  loafers  was  a 
swarthy  boatman,  wearing  a  leathern  waistcoat, 
who,  on  being  jostled  by  a  stalwart  roysterer 
carrying  a  long  rifle,  poured  out  curses  and  slang 
epithets,  swearing  he  could  whip  any  man  in  the 
tavern  or  in  the  town.  The  challenge  was  no 
sooner  uttered  than  the  offender  for  whom  it  was 
meant  called  out  to  the  landlord : 

"Here,  Billy,  hold  my  shooter  a  minute  until  I 
pitch  this  Louisiana  rat  into  the  river." 

"Don't  mind  him,  Mike;  he's  drunk." 

"Drunk  or  sober,"  blustered  the  quarrelsome 


A  NOTED  CHARACTER          17 

boatman,  "I  swear  I  can  whip  the  best  man  in 
Pittsburg  or  in  Pennsylvania." 

This  sweeping  defiance  elicited  laughter  and 
derision. 

"Give  him  the  heft  of  your  fist,  Mike!"  cried 
one. 

"Bruise  the  snout  of  the  Mississippi  alliga- 
tor!" 

Thus  incited,  Mike  Fink,  the  recognized 
champion  of  Pittsburg,  disposed  of  his  rifle, 
doubled  up  his  fists,  and  stood  ready  for  assault 
or  defence. 

"Fair  fight  or  rough  and  tumble?"  said  he, 
appealing  to  the  crowd. 

"Fair  fight,"  growled  the  boatman  and  tossed 
a  fiery  dram  down  his  gullet.  But  fair  fight  in 
the  accepted  sense  of  the  phrase  was  farthest  from 
his  intention.  Quick  as  a  flash,  he  drew  from 
his  belt  a  dirk,  and  would  have  stabbed  his  an- 
tagonist, had  not  a  bystander  seized  his  uplifted 
arm,  while  another  wrenched  the  weapon  from  his 
grasp.  The  ruffian's  comrades  hurried  their  dan- 
gerous leader  from  the  inn,  and  guided  his  steps 
to  the  river  and  aboard  a  large  new  flatboat  re- 
cently launched. 

A  flourish  of  bugle  notes  and  the  noise  of 
wheels  announced  the  arrival  of  the  mail-coach 
from  the  East.  Everybody  went  out  to  hail  the 
lumbering  vehicle,  which,  drawn  by  four  horses, 
came  bowling  down  the  road  in  a  dust-cloud  of 


i8  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

glory.  The  driver  cracked  his  whip  with  a  bang 
like  a  pistol-shot,  and  firmly  holding  in  his  left 
hand  the  four  long  lines,  brought  his  team  to  a 
sudden  halt  in  front  of  the  tavern. 

Only  two  passengers  alighted  from  the  stage, 
clambering  out  at  the  front,  a  mode  of  egress  re- 
quiring agility  to  avoid  awkward  slips  and 
tumbles.  The  first  to  step  down  was  a  handsome 
young  man,  who  held  his  head  proudly  and  looked 
about  him  with  easy  self-possession.  A  fashion- 
able suit  of  clothes  and  a  hat  in  the  latest  Phila- 
delphia style  proclaimed  him  a  man  of  "quality." 
But  aristocratic  as  were  the  mien  and  attire  of 
this  fine  gentleman,  he  ceased  to  be  the  chief 
object  of  attention  when  his  fellow-traveller 
emerged  from  the  pent  darkness  of  the  coach  and 
sprang  to  the  pavement. 

Every  eye  fastened  on  the  second  stranger. 
His  was  an  individuality  sure  to  command  defer- 
ence. Though  of  slight  figure,  he  bore  himself 
with  a  lofty  air,  which  lifted  his  stature  and 
magnified  its  proportions.  Not  one  of  those 
tarrying  to  behold  the  man  could  resist  the  feel- 
ing that  his  was  a  dominating  spirit,  a  will  and 
personality  not  to  be  ignored  or  slighted.  A 
careful  scanning  of  his  externals  discovered  that 
his  form  was  symmetrical,  though  the  head 
seemed  disproportionately  large;  the  brow  was 
high  and  sloping;  the  nose,  rather  sharp;  every 
curve  of  the  mouth,  clear  cut  and  delicate;  the 


A  NOTED  CHARACTER          19 

eyes,  black,  bright  and  piercing.  Such  was  the 
man  who,  attired  in  a  suit  of  black  broadcloth, 
with  buff  vest,  ruffled  shirt,  and  white  stock,  and 
with  hair  tied  in  a  modish  queue,  revealed  him- 
self to  the  gaze  of  the  throng  in  front  of  the  Green 
Tree. 

The  spectators  observed  as  he  descended  from 
the  coach  that  his  feet  were  small,  and  were 
fitted  to  a  nicety  with  polished  boots  of  the  finest 
leather.  No  amount  of  gaping,  gazing  and  in- 
quisitive side  remark  embarrassed  the  newcomer. 
Perhaps  his  dark  eyes  emitted  a  sparkle  of 
gratified  vanity  as  he  glanced  about  him,  distrib- 
uting a  gracious  bow  among  his  unknown  fellow- 
citizens.  Addressing  the  innkeeper,  he  asked : 

"Can  you  inform  us  whether  Judge  Bracken- 
ridge  is  in  town?" 

"Yes,  sir;  we  are  going  that  way/'*  politely 
replied  a  stripling,  who  stepped  forward,  followed 
by  another  youth  with  a  law  book  under  his  arm. 
"This  is  Harry  Brackenridge,  the  judge's  son." 

"Surely?  and  your  name  is — ?" 

"Morgan  Neville." 

"Son  of  Colonel  Presley  Neville?" 

"Yes,  sir." 

"Indeed!  The  particular  friend  of  La- 
fayette." Young  Neville  blushed  with  proud 
pleasure. 

"Yes ;  father  was  his  aide-de-camp." 

"I  know,"  said  the  stranger,  smiling,  as  he 


20          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

turned  to  ask  young  Brackenridge,  "Is  the  judge 
at  home  ?" 

"We  expect  him  home  to-morrow  from  a  trip 
to  Washington  College." 

"Your  new  Western  college,  eh?  Judge 
Brackenridge  is  a  promoter  of  learning  and 
literature.  Allow  me  to  make  you  acquainted 
with  Mr.  Arlington,  of  Virginia."  The  South- 
erner saluted  the  students  and,  inclining  his  head 
deferentially  toward  his  travelling  companion, 
said: 

"I  have  the  honor  of  introducing  you  to 
Colonel  Aaron  Burr." 

Diverse  were  the  effects  produced  on  the  listen- 
ing spectators  by  Arlington's  words.  At  the 
sound  of  the  notorious  name  some  shrank  as 
from  the  hiss  of  a  coiled  serpent.  Others  drew 
near,  as  if  eager  to  manifest  partisan  sympathy 
for  the  renowned  leader,  whose  pistol  had  ended 
the  life  of  Alexander  Hamilton  ten  months  prior 
to  the  time  of  this  visit  to  Pittsburg.  The  un- 
fledged lawyers  whom  his  favor  had  dis- 
tinguished were  of  his  faction.  They  manifested 
their  fealty  and  gladness  with  boyish  exuber- 
ance, by  delighted  looks  and  words  expressive  of 
esteem  and  reverence.  Burr  was  importuned  to 
dine  at  their  houses,  but  he  excused  himself  on 
account  of  business  affairs  which  required  prompt 
attention.  However,  he  accepted  an  invitation  to 
visit  Colonel  Neville  on  the  following  day. 


A  NOTED  CHARACTER          21 

Dinner  over,  the  newly  arrived  guests  sought 
the  general  supply  agent,  with  whom  Burr  had 
contracted  by  letter  for  a  boat,  intending  a  voyage 
down  the  Ohio.  The  vessel  was  ready  and  that 
very  morning  had  been  brought  from  the  ship- 
yard to  the  landing. 

"You  will  find  her  a  first-class  flatboat,  Mr. 
Burr — strong  and  tight — sixty  foot  long  by  four- 
teen wide — four  first-rate  rooms,  and  as  pretty  a 
roof  as  you  ever  set  foot  on  anywheres.  There's 
a  fellow  here  from  down  Mississippi  I've  spoke  to 
— a  number  one  pole  and  a  letter  A  oar — Captain 
Burke  Pierce  by  name — and  he'll  manage  her  for 
you,  Mr.  Burr,  and  provide  his  own  crew." 

" Where  can  I  find  this  Captain  Pierce?" 

"I'll  take  you  to  him  right  away.  He's  down 
on  the  boat  now.  A  mighty  good  hand  is  Burke, 
tough  as  a  bull,  swims  like  a  muskrat,  but  he  has 
one  failing — only  one  so  far  as  I  know — he  will 
drink,  and  when  he's  drunk  he's  vicious.  But 
they  all  take  their  whiskey,  these  boatmen,  and  so 
does  almost  every  landsman,  for  that  matter 
— and  Pierce  is  no  worse  than  the  rest.  But 
here's  the  point :  cap  had  a  row  at  the  tavern,  and 
his  crew  took  him  down  to  your  boat  to  sober 
off." 

"Why  there?" 

"Well,  I  thought  you'd  ask  that.  I  gave  them 
leave  to  go  to  your  boat  out  of  regard  to  you.  I 
told  him  if  he'd  whistle  together  five  or  six  ex- 


22  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

perienced  poles  and  a  good  cook,  like  as  not  you'd 
hire  him  to  take  charge  of  her  for  you  and  steer 
her  down  the  river;  see  to  the  kitchen,  beds  and 
everything." 

Inwardly  remarking  that  the  agent  had  pre- 
sumed beyond  his  commission,  Burr  was  con- 
ducted to  the  boat,  within  which  he  found  half  a 
dozen  rough  river-men  seated  around  a  table, 
playing  poker.  Their  redoubtable  chief  rose  with 
a  civil  salutation  not  to  be  expected  from  one  of 
his  station.  He  was  a  stalwart  fellow,  of  swarthy 
complexion  and  strongly  marked  features.  A 
broad  yellow  belt  confining  a  leather  doublet  was 
buckled  around  his  waist;  the  legs  of  his  coarse 
blue  woollen  trousers  were  stuffed  into  the  wide 
tops  of  heavy  Suarrow  boots,  and  his  head  was 
covered  by  a  broad  hat,  such  as  were  worn  by 
Spanish  traders  on  the  lower  Mississippi. 

"That's  your  man;  that's  Burke;  born  and 
raised  on  a  broad-horns.  Speak  for  yourself, 
cap;  this  is  Mr.  Burr,  which  I  told  you  about." 

The  boatman  spoke  for  himself  in  surprisingly 
good  language,  with  an  air  combining  the  bold 
and  the  obsequious.  For  a  fixed  sum,  payable  in 
weekly  instalments,  he  proposed  to  give  his  own 
services  and  to  hire  the  additional  help  necessary 
to  navigate  the  boat,  under  the  general  control  of 
the  owner.  To  this  arrangement  Burr  finally 
agreed,  notwithstanding  an  instinctive  repug- 
nance which  he  had  felt  on  first  seeing  the  letter 


A  NOTED  CHARACTER         23 

A  oar,  who  was  tough  as  a  bull  and  who  had  but 
one  failing.  As  the  captain  received  in  his  palm 
an  advance  payment,  he  called  upon  his  men  to 
witness  the  contract  and  to  vouch  for  his  char- 
acter, and  pledged  word  and  honor  that,  by  six 
o'clock  on  the  evening  of  the  following  day,  the 
boat  would  be  in  readiness  for  the  voyage. 

Relieved  of  present  care,  Burr  returned  to  the 
tavern,  where  many  citizens,  incited  by  various 
motives,  waited  to  pay  him  their  respects.  The 
rumor  of  his  arrival  had  spread  over  town,  and 
speculation  was  rife  concerning  his  movements. 
What  could  be  the  noted  politician's  object  in 
coming  to  the  West?  Was  he  flying  from  per- 
secution? Could  he  be  suffering  remorse?  Or 
was  he  merely  making  a  tour  of  observation  for 
commercial  reasons? 

Burr's  reticence  gave  little  satisfaction  to  the 
busybodies  who  sought  by  direct  question  to 
verify  their  several  conjectures.  All  comers  were 
received  with  a  hearty  handshake  and  were  en- 
tertained with  urbane  speeches.  Not  the  humblest 
caller  was  slighted.  It  was  late  in  the  evening 
when,  having  affably  gotten  rid  of  his  last  visitor, 
Burr  proposed  that  he  and  Arlington  should  re- 
tire. They  were  well  content  to  make  the  best  of 
the  scanty  accommodations  of  the  one  sleeping- 
room  to  which  they  were  both  assigned. 

After  a  disturbed  night's  rest  Burr  awoke 
early  and  called  his  drowsing  companion. 


24  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Rouse  up,  Mr.  Arlington.  Shake  off  this 
downy  sleep." 

"Downy  sleep!"  answered  the  Virginian, 
yawning  and  stretching;  "the  only  down  of  this 
couch  is  shucks  and  corn-cobs." 

The  two  men  had  scarcely  finished  breakfast- 
ing when  a  committee  of  local  officials  called  to 
invite  them  to  see  the  sights  of  growing  Pitts- 
burg. 

The  "Emporium,"  as  the  Gazette  called  the 
town,  had  a  population  of  about  two  thousand. 
Most  of  the  buildings  were  of  logs ;  a  few  of  stone 
or  brick. 

Burr  listened  with  every  appearance  of  intense 
interest  to  animated  accounts  of  the  academy,  the 
old  Dutch  church,  the  ferries,  the  shipping-yard, 
Suke's  Run,  and  Smoky  Island.  The  party 
sauntered  along  muddy  thoroughfares — South- 
field  Street  and  Chancery  Lane.  They  strolled 
through  Strawberry  Avenue  and  Virgin  Alley. 
They  viewed  the  ruins  of  Fort  Pitt,  stood  on  the 
site  of  historic  Du  Quesne,  and  paused  to  gaze  up 
at  the  garrisoned  post  of  La  Fayette,  over  which 
floated  the  flag  of  the  Old  Thirteen.  During  the 
tour  Burr  kept  up  a  sprightly  conversation.  His 
guides  took  pains,  at  his  request,  to  introduce 
to  him  the  young  men  of  Pittsburg,  and  those 
who  had  the  favor  of  being  presented  felt  them- 
selves enrolled  among  his  devoted  adherents. 


A  NOTED  CHARACTER         25 

He  carried  their  hearts,  not  by  storm,  but  by  ir- 
resistible sunshine. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  visitors  were  warmly 
welcomed  at  Colonel  Neville's,  where  they  were 
gratified  to  meet  Judge  Brackenridge.  The  four 
gentlemen  spent  an  hour  in  lively  political  and 
military  talk,  over  a  decanter  of  Madeira.  Under 
the  mellowing  influence  of  wine  and  good  com- 
pany, the  judge,  with  Scotch  curiosity,  made  bold 
to  sound  Burr  in  regard  to  the  purpose  of  his 
Western  trip. 

"We  are  going  out  West  to  witness  the  'Ris- 
ing Glory  of  America,'  "  was  the  evasive  answer. 
"I  am  eager  to  explore  that  domain  of  which  the 
author  of  'Bunker  Hill,'  has  sung  so  sublimely : 

'Hail,  happy  land, 

The  seat  of  empire,  the  abode  of  kings, 
The  final  stage,  where  time  shall  introduce 
Renowned  characters  and  glorious  works.' " 

Flattered  to  hear  his  own  verse  recited  by  the 
ex- Vice-president,  the  judge  returned  a  quick 
response : 

"It  is  seldom  that  a  poet  lives  to  hear  his  own 
prophecies  fulfilled.  The  'renowned  characters' 
are  entering  upon  the  stage;  I  dare  say  the 
'glorious  works'  will  be  accomplished  according 
to  prophecy." 

The  conversation  returned  to  general  themes: 


26          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

prospects  of  trade,  routes  of  migration,  growth 
of  western  towns,  literature,  and  education.  A 
passing  comment  on  the  recent  purchase  and 
organization  of  Louisiana  led  Colonel  Neville  to 
ask: 

"When  did  you  last  see  your  former  comrade- 
in-arms,  General  Wilkinson?" 

"Not  lately.  I  thought  I  might  meet  him  here 
in  Pittsburg.  Is  he  not  due  here?" 

"Yes,  he  is  on  the  way  from  Philadelphia,  but 
he  travels  with  his  family,  and  is  liable  to  many 
detentions.  His  barge  lies  at  the  wharf,  to  con- 
vey him  to  Fort  Massac." 

"So  I  learn,"  said  Burr.  "I  fear  I  shall  miss 
him.  He  is  a  jovial  companion." 

"A  bon-vivant,"  ejaculated  the  Judge.  "Few 
men  enjoy  a  convivial  occasion  with  his  gusto,  or 
have  the  constitution  to  indulge  as  he  does. 
Gossip  charges  him  with  living  beyond  his  purse. 
Some  ill-natured  rumors  assert  that  he  allows  the 
rites  of  Bacchus  to  interfere  with  the  duties  of 
Mars." 

"Bacchus  is  a  gross  and  vicious  god.  But  your 
gossips  traduce  Wilkinson.  He  is  a  brave  man 
and  a  fine  officer,"  said  Burr  with  an  emphasis  of 
finality. 

"O  undoubtedly!  Apropos  of  the  wine-god, 
Colonel  Burr,  do  not  fail  to  tie  up  your  boat  at 
Bacchus  Island,  you  and  Mr.  Arlington,  and  call 
on  my  friends  the  Blennerhassetts.  Harman 


A  NOTED  CHARACTER         27 

Blennerhassett  is  an  agreeable  man,  though  pecul- 
iar, and  his  wife  is  charming." 

"A  fine  woman,  is  she?"  responded  Burr. 

"Both  beautiful  and  opulent.    A  sultana,  sir!" 

"Then,  gentlemen,"  said  Burr,  rising  with 
glass  in  hand,  "let  us  do  ourselves  the  honor  of 
drinking  the  health  of  Madam  Blennerhassett." 

When,  at  six  o'clock  in  the  evening,  the  travel- 
lers went  down  to  the  boat,  not  a  soul  did  they 
find  on  board.  Seven  o'clock  came,  but  no 
Captain  Pierce,  no  minion  of  his.  Burr  made  in- 
quiry of  the  agent,  the  tavern-keeper  and  others, 
without  obtaining  information  concerning  any  of 
the  missing  men. 

Much  incensed,  he  and  Arlington  were  com- 
pelled to  lodge  another  night  in  the  best  bed- 
chamber of  the  Green  Tree. 


III. 

PILLARS  OF  SMOKE. 

ON  the  morning  after  their  provoking  delay, 
when  the  travellers  again  appeared  at  the  boat 
landing,  impatient  to  resume  their  voyage,  Aaron 
Burr  was  in  a  mood  not  to  be  trifled  with.  It 
scarcely  mollified  his  anger  to  discover  on  the 
deck  of  the  boat  the  slippery  crew  that  had  disap- 
pointed him. 

"Here  we  are,  sharp  on  time,"  bawled  Captain 
Pierce  audaciously.  "How  soon  do  you  want  to 
start  ?" 

Burr,  stepping  aboard  the  vessel,  confronted 
his  plausible  employee,  and  said  in  a  tone  of  stern 
reprimand : 

"You  will  be  of  no  use  to  me  unless  you  obey 
orders  to  the  letter.  You  make  a  bad  beginning. 
Why  were  you  not  here  twelve  hours  ago?" 

"I  didn't  agree  to  shove  off  before  this  morn- 
ing. We  were  to  come  at  six " 

"At  six  last  evening.     You  broke  your  word." 

"What  was  the  use  of  lying?"  said  Arlington 
contemptuously. 

The  boatman  lowered  upon  the  Virginian,  and 
muttered  to  Burr:  "Then  I  must  have  heard 


PILLARS  OF  SMOKE  29 

wrong.  I  thought  you  said  six  o'clock  this  morn- 
ing. I'll  take  my  oath  on  a  pile  of  Bibles." 

''Produce  the  Bibles,"  suggested  Arlington. 

Burke  ignored  the  sneering  remark,  and  con- 
tinued his  protestations  to  Burr.  "I  mean  to  do 
the  fair,  square  thing,  as  these  men  will  tell  you. 
Ask  them.  They  know  Burke  Pierce  keeps  his 
promises." 

"Enough;  I  hope  you  do.  Don't  disappoint 
me  again.  Put  the  boat  in  motion." 

Under  the  captain's  directions,  all  the  hands 
but  one  bestirred  themselves.  The  exception,  a 
burly  knot  of  muscles,  with  stubby  beard  and 
purple  nose,  instead  of  joining  in  the  work,  stood 
idle,  chewing  tobacco,  ostentatiously.  Without  a 
word  Burr  stepped  lightly  in  front  of  the  im- 
pudent roustabout,  and,  delivering  a  blow,  with 
the  dexterity  of  an  expert  boxer,  knocked  him  into 
the  river,  amid  the  jeers  of  his  associates,  and  of 
the  concourse  assembled  on  the  shore  to  see  the 
boat  off. 

This  prompt  stroke  of  executive  policy  had  a 
salutary  effect.  Recalcitrant  subjects  had  warn- 
ing that  the  little  man  wearing  the  queue  and  the 
small,  shiny  boots,  could  not  be  bluffed. 

The  boat,  once  in  midstream,  was  easily 
managed  by  the  use  of  long,  spiked  poles,  and, 
now  and  then,  of  an  oar.  The  captain  kept  his  sta- 
tion at  the  stern  of  the  uncouth  craft,  handling  the 
steering-pole.  The  two  travellers,  standing  upon 


30          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  roof  of  the  ark,  admired  their  pilot's  skill,  and 
freely  exchanged  comments  regarding  him.  To 
their  murmured  conversation,  the  steersman 
seemed  dumb,  deaf  and  indifferent;  nevertheless, 
he  gave  the  closest  attention  to  every  word,  and 
his  sense  of  hearing  was  as  keen  as  that  of  a  wild- 
cat. 

The  scenery  along  the  upper  Ohio  River  is 
pleasing  in  any  season  of  the  year;  no  wonder 
that,  in  early  May,  the  travellers  were  enchanted 
by  its  picturesque  beauty.  To  this  day,  in  many 
places,  the  hills,  vales,  and  woods  on  either  bank, 
retain  almost  the  original  wildness  of  primeval 
Nature.  The  river  winds  among  high  limestone 
hills,  which  are  carved  in  frequent  deep  ravines, 
by  tumbling  brooks,  or  trickling  rills.  Low,  green 
islands  rise  magically  upon  the  forward  view  of 
the  voyager,  then  vanish  in  the  receding  distance, 
like  fairy  worlds  withdrawn. 

The  real  and  the  imaginary  became  strangely 
blended  in  Arlington's  mind.  He  could  hardly 
distinguish  the  substantial  from  the  visionary, 
while  he  gazed  on  cloudlike  bluffs  in  Ohio  and 
dim  highlands  in  Virginia.  The  boat  drifted  on 
without  sound  or  jar,  and  he  easily  fancied  him- 
self at  rest  on  a  surface  of  water,  while  the  woody 
shore  swam  by  in  slow  panorama. 

Chester  Arlington  was  the  son  of  a  wealthy 
citizen  of  Richmond,  and  a  graduate  of  the  Col- 
lege of  William  and  Mary.  He  had  studied  law, 


PILLARS  OF  SMOKE  31 

and  was  beginning  life  on  his  own  account.  En- 
trusted with  a  commission  to  collect  some  claims 
held  by  his  father  against  a  merchant  in  Cincin- 
nati, he  was  on  his  way  to  that  metropolis  of  the 
Miami  country.  His  acquaintance  with  Burr 
dated  from  a  day  in  the  middle  of  April,  when  the 
two  got  into  the  same  coach  to  journey  from 
Philadelphia  to  Pittsburg.  A  difference  of 
twenty-five  years  in  their  ages  was  cancelled  by 
the  art,  which  the  elder  possessed,  of  maintaining 
perpetual  youth.  And  Burr's  genial  conversation 
won  his  companion's  confidence  and  friendship 
before  they  had  crossed  the  Alleghanies.  Thus 
it  came  about,  that  the  Virginian  had  been  invited 
to  share  the  conveniences  of  the  flatboat,  a  cour- 
tesy which  he  had  accepted,  on  condition  that  he 
might  share  the  expenses. 

Toward  the  close  of  the  fourth  day  of  the  voy- 
age, as  the  two  sat  on  the  top  of  their  drifting 
domicile,  smoking  cigars,  they  fell  into  a  dis- 
cussion concerning  the  Great  West,  and  the  pros- 
pects of  new  States  and  Territories. 

"To  me,"  said  the  Virginian,  in  the  slightly 
florid  style  habitual  to  him,  "this  wonderful  new 
country  into  which  we  are  sailing  is  attractive 
beyond  my  power  to  express.  This  river,  the  Oyo 
of  the  Indian,  La  Belle  of  the  romantic  La  Salle, 
excites  my  imagination  and  recalls  interesting 
legends  and  historic  facts.  How  many  keels  have 
plowed  these  waters — the  canoe  of  the  Iroquois, 


32  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  peroque  of  French  explorers,  the  batteau  of 
early  English  traders,  the  boats  of  the  Spaniards 
coming  up  from  the  Gulf  region." 

"The  boat  of  the  Spaniard  has  not  yet 
abandoned  our  western  waters,  Mr.  Arlington." 

"No,  not  yet.  Twenty  years  have  not  elapsed 
since  the  first  white  settlement  was  made  on  the 
soil  of  Ohio,  at  Marietta,  a  town  we  are  now  ap- 
proaching." 

The  smokers  lapsed  into  a  silence  of  many 
minutes.  Burr  resumed  conversation  abruptly : 

"Arlington,  you  are  not  a  Federalist?" 

"Could  you  imagine  that  a  son  of  my  father, 
Major  Arlington,  would  hold  the  principles  of 
Adams  and  Jay  ?" 

"You  are  not,  you  say,  an  admirer  of  Adams, 
the  arch-Federalist.  Do  you  worship  his  suc- 
cessor ?  Are  you  an  unconditional  Jeffersonian  ?" 

"No,  I  am  not.  It  seems  to  me  that  Jefferson 
aids  the  cause  of  centralization,  with  the  same 
motive  that  moved  Adams,  but  with  less  boldness. 
What  do  you  think,  Colonel  Burr,  of  the  tem- 
porizing policy  of  the  administration  in  regard  to 
Spain  ?" 

"In  regard  to  Spain?"  echoed  Burr,  blowing  a 
ring  of  smoke  from  his  lips,  "what  do  you  think, 
yourself?" 

"I  think  it  infamous!  It  disgraces  this  nation 
to  submit  to  exactions  and  insults  from  the 


PILLARS  OF  SMOKE  33 

Spaniards.  Why  don't  the  Government  declare 
war,  and  conquer  Mexico  ?" 

"Would  you  be  in  favor  of  that?"  asked  Burr, 
lightly  touching  the  ashes  of  his  cigar  with  the 
tip  of  his  little  finger — so  lightly  that  the  ashes 
did  not  fall. 

"Would  I  be  in  favor  of  it  ?  I  am  in  favor  of  it. 
Are  not  you,  Colonel  Burr?" 

The  politician  again  barely  grazed  the  cylin- 
der of  white  ashes  with  his  little  finger. 

"We  must  not  be  rash." 

"I  feel  that  I  am  rash  to  talk  so  positively,  but 
how  can  there  be  a  difference  of  opinion  on  a  sub- 
ject like  this?  Why  don't  Congress  declare 
war?" 

"Is  it  your  belief  that,  if  war  were  declared, 
there  would  be  difficulty  in  raising  volunteers  in 
Virginia  ?" 

"Not  the  least.    Thousands  would  enlist." 

"Would  you  enlist,  Mr.  Arlington?" 

"Yes,  sir,  I  would." 

Burr's  little  finger  tapped  the  burnt  out  inch 
of  his  cigar,  and  the  frail  ash  fell,  crumbling  to 
fine  powder,  which  the  breeze  bore  away.  The 
touch  recorded  a  point  won. 

"Suppose  that  Congress  and  the  President,  dis- 
regarding the  wishes  of  the  people,  and  refusing 
to  declare  war,  force  the  country  to  submit  tamely 
to  the  insults  of  Spain,  do  you  think  it  possible 
that  independent  men  might  take  upon  themselves 


34          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  responsibility  as  a  private  business  enterprise, 
and  march  against  the  Dons  in  Mexico  ?" 

After  a  thoughtful  pause,  the  young  man  re- 
plied : 

"Yes,  some  would.  Many  would.  The  war- 
fare might  not  be  regular,  but,  in  my  view,  the 
object  would  justify  extraordinary  means  to  a 
patriotic  end.  What  is  your  own  feeling  on  that 
phase  of  the  subject,  may  I  ask,  colonel?" 

"I  wish  to  learn  the  sense  of  my  fellow- 
citizens.  You  may  express  yourself  to  me  with 
perfect  freedom." 

"Why  not?  We  are  discussing  a  public  ques- 
tion." 

"Certainly.  But  your  idea,  that  an  expedition 
against  Mexico,  conducted  as  a  private  enterprise, 
might  prove  popular  and— 

"That  is  your  idea,  sir,  not  mine.  However, 
I  see  no  objection  to  adopting  it,  providing  the 
Government  is  in  the  secret,  and  tacitly  permits 
an  expedition." 

"Oh,  surely!  That  is  understood,"  responded 
Burr,  and  fell  pondering. 

With  quick  whiffs  he  revived  the  dying  fire  of 
his  cigar,  leaned  back  in  his  chair,  and  lost  himself 
in  reverie.  What  were  his  meditations?  Per- 
haps he  mused  of  the  past,  the  half  century  of 
crowded  events  in  which  he  had  borne  a  con- 
spicuous part.  Did  his  memory  fly  back  to  the 
far  off,  sad  days  when,  a  lonesome  orphan  boy,  in 


PILLARS  OF  SMOKE  35 

a  Puritan  school,  he  penned  sympathetic  letters 
to  his  sister?  Or  was  recollection  busy  with  the 
scenes  of  the  Revolutionary  War,  in  which  he 
served  his  country  nobly  and  won  proud  laurels? 
He  recalled  his  part  in  the  march  to  Canada  and 
in  the  assault  on  Quebec,  not  forgetting  his  own 
heroic  exploit  of  carrying  from  the  fatal  field  the 
body  of  his  slain  general,  Montgomery.  He 
thought  of  the  retreat  from  Long  Island,  and  of 
the  credit  he  gained  as  aide-de-camp  to  Putnam ; 
he  retraced  each  step  in  his  military  career,  re- 
flecting on  his  rise  from  the  command  of  a 
regiment  to  that  of  a  brigade,  remembering  how 
his  distinction  as  a  brave  and  able  officer  reached 
its  culmination  in  the  battle  of  Monmouth.  Per- 
haps, through  his  mind  ran  the  events  of  his 
political  history,  his  transition  from  the  field  to 
the  bar,  thence  to  the  State  Assembly  of  New 
York,  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  and 
finally  to  the  Vice-Presidency. 

These  memories  and  a  myriad  more  came 
thronging  to  his  quickened  consciousness  as  he  sat 
smoking.  The  retrospective  visions  rose  before 
him,  not  as  vague  memories — they  seemed  living 
realities  as  they  reproduced  events  more  recent. 
At  last  one  vivid  picture — nay,  was  it  not  an 
actual  scene? — one  set  of  vital  images,  usurped 
his  brain  and  would  not  vanish  or  fade.  It 
showed  a  grassy  ledge  guarded  by  rocks  and 
forest  growths,  in  a  secluded  spot  overlooking  the 


36  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Hudson.  There  stands  himself  confronting  his 
political  rival  and  partisan  foe;  the  figures  speak 
and  move;  a  ghastly  tragedy  is  imminent.  Yes, 
imagination  compels  the  repetition — the  men  are 
placed — Burr  takes  deliberate  aim,  touches  the 
trigger,  the  fatal  bullet  pierces  Hamilton's  breast 
and  the  slain  Federalist  falls  heavily,  his  face 
upon  the  sward.  But  before  he  falls,  his  pistol, 
which  he  had  resolved  not  to  fire,  is  accidentally 
discharged,  sending  its  ball  eight  feet  over  the 
head  of  his  antagonist  and  cutting  off  a  leafy  twig 
from  an  overhanging  bough.  Burr's  attention  is 
strangely  affected  by  the  fate  of  the  green  branch 
which  he  heard  the  bullet  sever,  and,  as  he  sees  it 
come  wavering  to  the  ground,  he  cannot  resist 
the  fancy  that  he  beholds  an  emblem  of  his  own 
ruin — a  symbol  of  his  future  self — a  living  thing 
cut  off  from  its  nourishing  stock  as  he  was  des- 
tined to  be  from  a  nation's  sympathy  and  support. 
The  gloomy  retrospect,  the  dismal  forecast, 
were  too  painful;  by  a  strong  effort  of  the  will, 
Burr  strove  to  expunge  the  past  and  illuminate  the 
future.  Rising,  he  took  a  brisk  turn  or  two,  pac- 
ing the  deck.  His  cigar  had  gone  out ;  casting  it 
into  the  river,  he  lit  a  fresh  one,  and  again  sat 
down.  The  kindled  roll  diffused  its  searching 
perfume  and  wrought  a  soothing  change  of  mood. 
By  some  subtle  chain  of  new  associations  Burr 
was  led  to  think  of  the  words  of  Milton's  hero  in 
Paradise  Lost: 


PILLARS  OF  SMOKE  37 

"The  mind  is  its  own  place,  and  in  itself 
Can  make  a  heaven  of  hell." 

He  puffed  at  the  long  cigar,  and  began  to  build 
a  future  out  of  rolling  smoke.  Toppled  fortunes 
may  be  rebuilt ;  lost  reputation  may  be  retrieved. 
There  are  new  worlds  to  discover,  to  conquer, 
and  to  possess.  What  may  not  be  achieved  by 
genius  and  courage?  What  to  undertake,  what 
to  dare  and  do!  Shall  he  span  the  Ohio  with  a 
bridge,  and  dig  a  canal  around  the  falls?  Would 
he  find  success  by  settling  in  some  rising  city  of 
the  West,  and  resuming  the  practice  of  law  ?  Or 
might  he  not  reasonably  hope  to  be  returned  to 
Congress  from  one  of  the  new  States?  Or  to 
secure  from  the  President  an  appointment  as 
Minister  to  a  foreign  court,  perhaps  that  of  St. 
James?  Better  than  these  schemes  and  more  in- 
dependent, to  embark  in  a  stupendous  land  specu- 
lation in  Louisiana,  and  open  a  splendid  way  to 
riches  and  power. 

The  wavering  blue  nebulae  of  intoxicating 
clouds  rise  and  float,  and  fashion  their  fragrant 
columns  into  grander  castles  of  smoke.  The  Mis- 
sissippi Valley  is  spacious  and  fertile,  Louisiana 
is  a  wide  domain,  but  why  limit  the  scope  of  en- 
terprise to  these?  Why  not  conquer  Mexico, 
make  New  Orleans  the  capital  of  a  magnificent 
empire,  and  possibly  annex  the  southwestern 
States  of  the  severed  Union.  Myself  the  em- 


38  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

peror  of  the  richest  realm  on  the  globe,  my 
daughter  the  crown  princess  and  prospective 
queen  Theodosia ! 

Such  was  the  gorgeous  dream,  the  cloud- 
vision,  the  unuttered  soliloquy  of  Aaron  Burr,  the 
political  bankrupt,  as  he  sat  smoking  on  the  deck 
of  a  flatboat,  drifting  down  the  devious  current 
of  the  Ohio. 


IV. 

PLUTARCH   BYLE   MAKES  A   NEW  ACQUAINTANCE. 

THE  boat  had  reached  a  point  a  few  miles 
above  Marietta,  when  an  incident  occurred  to  in- 
terrupt the  resumed  dialogue  on  the  Spanish  ques- 
tion. A  skiff  was  seen  to  push  off  from  the  Ohio 
shore,  and  move  rapidly  in  the  direction  of  the 
flatboat,  urged  on  by  the  long,  powerful  oar- 
strokes  of  a  man  who,  even  in  distant  perspective, 
appeared  larger  than  life-size.  Instead  of  hailing 
the  crew  of  the  passing  vessel,  as  was  customary, 
the  man  gave  no  sign  that  he  was  conscious  of  the 
existence  of  any  other  craft  than  his  own  fast- 
gliding  skiff.  However,  he  steered  straight  for 
the  boat,  hove  alongside,  sprang  on  board  with 
surprising  agility,  and,  having  fastened  his  light 
boat  by  a  chain  to  a  timber  of  the  flat,  stalked 
deliberately  to  the  stern  where  Captain  Pierce 
was  stationed  with  steering-oar. 

"I  saw  you  coming  down  and  I  thought  maybe 
you'd  like  to  buy  some  fresh  fish.  I've  got  a 
thirty-pound  cat  in  the  boat;  I  caught  one  last 
week  that  weighed  one  hundred  and  three 
pound." 

"Don't  want  any  fish.  Wouldn't  take  'urn  as 
a  gift." 


40          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"You're  welcome  not  to,  captain.  I  suppose 
a  man  has  a  right  to  hop  on  board  and  ask  a  civil 
question.  Whose  boat  is  this,  anyhow,  and  where 
bound  ?" 

No  attention  being  paid  to  the  question,  the 
nonchalant  intruder  went  on :  "What  plunder  are 
you  loaded  with?  Salt  or  whiskey,  or  pork  or 
butter,  I  reckon?  Or  maybe  you  carry  pas- 
sengers ?  Is  it  a  family  of  emigrants  ?  I  see  two 
chaps  on  the  upper  deck;  who  are  they?  What 
might  your  name  be,  captain?" 

The  helmsman  relieved  his  irritation  by  de- 
livering a  volley  of  oaths. 

"You  'pear  to  be  out  of  sorts,  captain.  Sour 
stomach,  likely.  Better  take  a  dose  of  saleratus." 

Hearing  a  strange  voice,  the  cook,  who  was  the 
captain's  trusted  confidant,  came  out.  He  was 
recognized  by  the  ubiquitous  Byle. 

"Abe  Sheldrake !  as  sure  as  ham  is  hog's  flesh ! 
Abe,  if  there's  an  onrier  man  than  you  on  earth, 
the  bottomless  pit  is  shaller." 

The  cook  stood  speechless,  and  the  tall  man 
sauntered  leisurely  through  the  several  apart- 
ments of  the  boat,  calculating  their  dimensions 
and  inspecting  the  furniture,  and  pausing  oc- 
casionally to  handle  such  articles  as  appealed  to 
his  curiosity.  He  passed  through  the  kitchen  into 
the  dining-room,  and  thence  through  both  the 
sleeping-chambers,  finally  emerging  from  a  door 
at  the  bow  of  the  boat,  after  which  he  ascended 


A  NEW  ACQUAINTANCE        41 

to  the  roof,  where  he  accosted  Burr  and  Arling- 
ton. 

"How  d'ye  do?  My  name  is  Byle;  Plutarch 
Byle — B-y-l-e.  I  can't  call  your  names,  gents,  but 
no  matter.  We  all  belong  to  the  same  human 
race.  I  thought  you  might  be  a  little  bored-like 
with  your  own  talk — so  long  together  you  know 
— and  I  hopped  on  to  cheer  you  up.  George 
Washington  used  to  say  to  his  nephew,  "Be 
courteous  to  all,  but  intimate  with  few,"  and 
George  was  half  right.  I  admire  a  mannerly 
man.  How  goes  it?" 

The  familiarity  of  this  overture  puzzled,  but 
did  not  offend  the  travellers,  who  conceived  that 
chance  had  thrown  into  their  presence  an  original 
whose  company  might  afford  them  an  hour's  en- 
tertainment. Arlington  politely  offered  the 
visitor  a  chair. 

"No,  thank  you,  stranger.  I've  been  setting 
in  the  skiff  all  day,  fishing,  and  I'd  rather  stand 
up  and  stretch  my  bones." 

The  gentlemen  thought,  when  they  saw  Mr. 
Byle  throw  back  his  arms,  and  gradually 
straighten  up  his  towering  body,  that  the  length 
and  thickness  of  bone  he  had  to  stretch  were  ex- 
traordinary. 

"I've  got  a  lot  of  mussel  shells  in  my  boat  for 
Mr.  Blennerhatchet.  Would  you  like  to  see  'em  ? 
'Union-idea,'  he  says  they  are.  He's  a  queer 
customer,  that  Blennerhatchet." 


4a  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"You  know  him  then?"  asked  Burr. 

"Know  him !  I  know  him  like  a  book.  I  know 
him  better  than  I  do  you.  He  is  not  so  good- 
looking  as  either  of  us,  by  ginger.  I  can't  make 
out  why  the  Rose  of  Sharon  ever  took  to  a  near- 
sighted United  Irishman." 

'The  Rose  of  Sharon?" 

"I  mean  his  old  woman — Mrs.  B.  She's  a  per- 
fect lady.  Pretty!  Pretty  as  a  sassafras  tree  in 
October!  I  didn't  just  catch  your  names,  gentle- 
men. I  like  to  call  a  man  by  his  Christian  name. 
It  seems  more  sociable.  That's  one  thing  I  like 
about  the  French — sociability.  They  go  in  for 
liberty,  equality  and  brotherhood.  But  I  don't 
take  any  stock  in  their  skeptical  notions.  I'd  as 
soon  eat  poke-root  and  sleep  on  pizen-vine  as  read 
Voltaire  and  Rousseau.  Tom  Payne  is  no  better. 
What's  the  latest  news  from  Washington?  Is 
Tom  Jefferson  going  to  make  war  on  Spain?  It 
ain't  war  we  want;  it  ain't  more  territory  we 
want ;  we  need  a  closer  union,  and  a  strong  tariff." 

"You  appear  to  be  a  politician,  Mr.  Pyle." 

"Byle — B-y-l-e — Plutarch  Byle,  if  you  please. 
Yes,  it's  my  notion  that  every  citizen  ought  to  be 
a  politician.  I'm  a  John  Jay  Federalist — a  cen- 
tralizer.  Which  side  are  you  on?" 

"I'm  not  concerned  in  politics  at  present.  We 
are  lawyers,  not  politicians,  Mr.  Arlington  and 
I." 


A  NEW  ACQUAINTANCE        43 

"Arlington?  That's  not  a  bad  name.  Where 
do  you  hail  from,  Arlington  ?" 

"From  Richmond,  Virginia,"  said  the  young 
man  good  humoredly.  "This  gentleman  is  a 
citizen  of  New  York." 

"New  York  City?  Porcupines  and  wildcats! 
You  don't  say!  There's  where  Alexander 
Hamilton  lived — the  greatest  man  that  ever  lived 
in  these  United  States,  except  Washington.  I 
suppose  there  was  a  heap  of  excitement  in  New 
York  when  Alexander  Hamilton  was  killed — 
murdered,  I  might  say.  Did  you  ever  see 
Alexander  Hamilton  ?" 

Burr  looked  steadily  into  the  eyes  of  the  Great 
Inquisitive.  "Yes,"  he  replied,  "I  was  very  well 
acquainted  with  Mr.  Hamilton.  He  was  a  fine 
man." 

"You're  right  there,  stranger!  Give  us  your 
hand  on  that !  I'm  proud  to  shake  with  a  man 
who  has  seen  Alexander  Hamilton." 

The  enthusiastic  Byle  extended  his  prodigious 
palm  and  grasped  the  delicate  hand  politely  prof- 
fered him.  Arlington  looked  on  in  astonishment. 

Burr,  wincing  at  the  vice-like  grip  of  his  new 
acquaintance,  placidly  responded :  "Yes,  there  are 
few  men  more  worthy  of  esteem  than  was  my 
admirable  friend  Mr.  Hamilton — whom  I  shot." 

Byle  was  struck  dumb.  He  could  only  open  his 
cavernous  mouth,  and  gasp.  His  heavy  hand  re- 


44          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

laxed  its  hold,  and  dropped  as  if  paralyzed.  For 
a  moment  he  stared  at  Arlington.  Then  he 
recovered  his  powers  sufficiently  to  articulate. 

"You  shot  him?    You — you  aren't ?" 

"Yes,  I  am  Aaron  Burr." 

Plutarch  Byle  turned  on  his  heel  and  with  three 
strides  carried  his  leaning  tower  of  a  body  to  the 
edge  of  the  deck.  Scrambling  precipitately  down 
the  boat's  side,  he  stumbled  into  his  skiff,  undid 
the  chain,  grabbed  his  oars  and  fairly  shot  away, 
as  if  pursued  by  flying  pestilence.  He  directed 
his  course  northward  and  quickly  ran  the  bow  of 
his  skiff  against  the  river  bank.  Then  plunging 
his  right  hand  into  the  water,  he  rubbed  and 
scrubbed  it  vigorously,  using  sand  for  soap. 

"Dog-fennel  and  skunk-cabbage!  I  don't  be- 
lieve there's  water  enough  in  the  Ohio  River  to 
take  out  the  wicked  smell  of  that  murderer's 
hand!" 


V. 
IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER. 

THE  Byle  episode  put  Burr  in  a  merry  mood, 
quite  diverting  his  thoughts  from  Mexico  and 
the  future  to  the  happenings  of  the  hour.  A  reck- 
less spirit  of  frivolity  took  possession  of  him,  and 
he  astonished  his  fellow  traveller  by  the  ebullience 
of  his  humor  and  the  play  of  his  extravagant 
fancy.  He  mimicked  the  speech  and  grotesque 
gestures  of  Plutarch,  and  laughed  over  the  lu- 
dicrous finale  of  the  encounter  with  that  free- 
spoken  genius. 

"Mr.  B-y-l-e,  Byle,  is  exquisite!  It  is  worth 
coming  a  thousand  miles  by  stage  coach  and  flat- 
boat,  to  meet  so  droll  an  adventure  with  such  a 
nondescript  amphibian.  He  has  a  prodigious  gift 
of  gab,  plain  and  ornamental.  Did  you  take  note 
of  his  metaphors?  'Rose  of  Sharon'  is  good. — 
By  the  way,  we  can't  be  far  from  the  Bower  of 
Bliss.  We  must  tie  up  our  Argo  there  as 
Brackenridge  recommended,  and  go  in  quest  of 
those  exotic  and  visionary  Blennerhassetts." 

"What  do  you  know  of  them,  colonel,  further 
than  we  learned  in  Pittsburg?" 


46  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"But  little.  They  stopped  in  New  York  for  a 
few  months,  after  arriving  in  this  country,  ten  or 
twelve  years  ago.  The  man  is  a  barrister,  edu- 
cated in  Dublin.  He  claims  to  be  a  descendant  of 
King  John.  The  lady  is  a  daughter  of  the  gover- 
nor of  the  Isle  of  Wight,  and  a  granddaughter  of 
the  late  Brigadier-General  Agnew,  who  was 
killed  in  the  battle  of  Germantown." 

"A  British  general,  you  say?" 

"Oh,  certainly — a  violent  royalist." 

While  the  gentlemen  were  thus  chatting,  the 
boat  drifted  lazily  on,  following  the  windings  of 
the  current.  The  broad  Ohio  glowed  like  liquid 
gold,  in  the  slant  sunshine  of  mid-afternoon,  and 
the  interplay  of  shade  and  color,  shifting  from 
object  to  object  along  the  shores,  gave  the  varied 
scenery  an  ethereal  beauty  almost  supernatural. 
The  distant,  forest-crowned  uplands,  seen  dimly 
in  the  direction  toward  which  the  ark  floated, 
looked  as  unsubstantial  as  clouds.  A  delightful, 
spicy  fragrance  exhaled  from  the  blossomy 
thickets  which  fringed  the  river  margin. 

Burr  took  a  deep  breath,  and  began  to  hum  a 
half-remembered  verse  advising  youth  to  "gather 
the  rose  whiles  yet  .is  prime." 

"Yonder  is  Bacchus  Island,"  said  Arlington, 
pointing  down  stream. 

"I  suppose  you  are  right.  The  Western  Nam- 
gator  locates  the  spot  somewhere  about  here. 
But  beware  of  illusions,  my  friend.  I  begin  to 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER       47 

doubt  the  testimony  of  my  senses.  Perhaps 
yonder  prospect  is  a  mirage,  and  Byle  was  only  a 
goblin  of  the  mind.  This  interminable  river  is 
enchanted.  I  sympathize  with  La  Salle's  con- 
viction that  the  Ohio  runs  to  Cathay.  Maybe  we 
have  sailed  round  the  globe  and  are  now  in  sight 
of  the  Indies.  Or  we  have  come  to  Arabia.  Does 
not  the  vision  resemble  some  Mohammedan  Isle 
of  the  Blest — one  of  the  happy  seats  reserved  for 
blameless  souls  such  as  yours  and  mine?  I  shall 
expect  to  discover  the  rivers  of  clarified  honey, 
the  couches  adorned  with  gold,  and  the  damsels 
having  complexions  like  rubies  and  pearls,  as  the 
Koran  promises." 

Arlington  laughingly  replied  in  the  same  ex- 
travagant vein. 

"Colonel,  you  have  eaten  of  the  insane  root. 
This  island  belongs  to  the  Hesperides,  not  to  the 
East.  The  best  luck  we  can  hope  for  is  to  steal  one 
or  two  golden  apples." 

"That  may  prove  a  risky  adventure  even  for  a 
bold  Virginian.  If  there  is  a  dragon  to  slay  I 
leave  the  bloody  business  to  you.  I  stick  to  my 
Oriental  paradise." 

"Very  well;  golden  apples  for  me  and  pearl- 
ruby  damsels  for  you.  But  I  am  scandalized  that 
a  Puritan  Senator  permits  himself  to  dream  of 
Mohammed's  heaven,  and  its  honey  and  houri 
felicities." 

"Mr.   Arlington,  you  are  the  first  and  only 


48  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

anchorite  that  Virginia  has  produced.  You  will 
grant  that  it  is  in  character  for  a  Senator  to  pay 
his  devoirs  to  a  sultana.  Something  too  much  of 
this.  See  there  over  the  willows;  that  must  be 
the  house." 

They  both  gazed  forward,  and  caught  glimpses 
of  the  secluded  mansion,  gleaming,  snow-white, 
through  forest  vistas.  Burke  Pierce,  who  knew 
the  private  wharf,  steered  to  the  landing,  and  the 
boat  was  moored  fast  to  a  huge  sycamore  tree. 

The  travellers  disembarked,  and  following  a 
path  which  wound  among  mazes  of  shrubbery  and 
early  blooming  flowers,  came  to  the  semicir- 
cular plot  of  green  sward  fronting  the  piazza. 

"The  place  is  marvellously  beautiful !"  re- 
marked Arlington. 

"A  new  Garden  of  Eden !"  answered  the  other. 

On  approaching  the  main  entrance,  they  heard, 
within,  the  twangling  music  of  a  harp. 

The  hall  door  was  decorated  with  a  large, 
bronze  knocker  of  curious  design.  A  tap  of  the 
falling  hammer  on  its  metallic  plate,  brought  to 
the  threshold  a  jet-black  maid-servant  wearing  a 
gaudy  turban.  She  ushered  the  visitors  into  a 
spacious  drawing-room  and  took  their  cards  and 
a  note  from  Judge  Brackenridge,  to  her  mistress. 

The  guests  while  waiting  could  not  fail  to  be 
impressed  by  what  they  saw  around  them.  Walls, 
ceilings  and  doors  were  unique  in  their  decorative 
effects.  The  furnishings  of  the  apartment  were 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER       49 

elegant  and  sumptuous.  There  were  rich  hang- 
ings at  the  windows  and  costly  Persian  rugs  on 
the  floor. 

Soon  was  heard  a  swish  and  rustle  of  brocade 
on  the  stairs,  and,  a  moment  later,  the  gentle- 
men rose  to  meet  Madam  Blennerhassett,  who 
came  in,  smiling  a  cordial  welcome.  She  was 
dignified,  even  stately,  in  her  demeanor,  and 
looked,  not  indeed  the  ideal  sultana,  but  rather 
every  inch  an  empress. 

Burr  was  at  once  upon  his  mettle.  No  levity, 
nothing  of  the  jester,  no  trace  of  ennui  lingered 
in  his  manner.  The  presence  of  the  magnificent 
woman  transfigured  his  body  and  called  up  all  his 
social  resources.  His  eye  kindled  its  sparkling 
fires,  his  lip  took  a  deeper  glow  of  vital  red. 
These  manifestations  were  spontaneous,  almost 
involuntary,  though  he  was  conscious  of  an 
obscure  design. 

"Gentlemen,  it  hardly  needed  this  note  from 
Judge  Brackenridge  to  insure  you  a  welcome 
here ;  you  do  us  a  great  honor  by  seeking  out  our 
lonely  island  home."  These  words,  though  ad- 
dressed to  both  the  visitors,  were  meant  for  the 
elder  and  more  distinguished  guest,  who  replied 
suavely : 

"Madam,  we  made  bold  to  invade  the  privacy 
of  these  grounds  in  the  hope  of  forming  the  ac- 
quaintance of  a  family  well  known  by  reputa- 
tion." 


50  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Returning  a  formal  bow  and  a  look  of  ap- 
preciation, the  lady  continued : 

"I  regret  that  you  do  not  find  my  husband  at 
home;  his  affairs  called  him  to  Farmers'  Castle, 
just  across  the  river,  but  I  am  expecting  him  to 
return  at  any  minute.  You  must  not  go  with- 
out seeing  him.  Of  course,  you  will  take  dinner 
with  us." 

The  wayfarers,  having  come  ashore  for  idle 
adventure  and  recreation,  were  easily  persuaded 
to  linger.  Burr  tactfully  advanced  to  the  borders 
of  familiarity  by  giving  Madam  Blennerhassett 
an  embellished  report  of  the  encomiums  which 
Brackenridge  had  bestowed  upon  her  and  her 
ancestors.  He  was  lauding  the  name  of  Agnew, 
when  a  sound  from  the  vestibule  suspended  his 
eloquence,  and  quickly  thereafter  the  figure  of  a 
graceful  girl  appeared  in  the  entrance  to  the 
drawing-room.  The  maiden  paused  a  moment,  a 
glowing  picture  in  the  deep  doorway.  She  was  a 
peerless  blonde,  blue  of  eye,  scarlet  of  lip — and 
her  fair  head  and  face  were  so  aureoled  by  locks 
of  sunniest  yellow,  that  she  seemed  to  radiate 
light  and  warmth.  Her  exceeding  loveliness 
smote  through  Arlington's  nerves  and  set  his 
southern  blood  tingling. 

"Ah,  Evaleen,  did  you  enjoy  your  ramble?" 
asked  the  hostess,  affectionately,  as  she  rose  to  re- 
ceive the  young  lady.  "Colonel  Burr,  this  is  my 
very  dear  friend,  Miss  Evaleen  Hale." 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER        51 

The  American  Chesterfield  made  a  courtierly 
obeisance. 

"Permit  me  to  introduce  Mr.  Arlington,  of 
Richmond." 

"Miss  Hale,  gentlemen,  like  myself  is  a  so- 
journer  in  a  far  country.  She  comes  to  us  from 
Boston." 

Having  complied  gracefully  with  the  demands 
of  convention,  the  maiden,  in  wilful  abstraction, 
busied  herself  with  some  wild  flowers  which  she 
had  just  gathered  in  the  woods. 

"Where  did  you  leave  the  boys  ?"  inquired 
madam,  referring  to  the  lads  Dominick  and  Har- 
man. 

"They  are  out  of  doors,  making  a  cage  for  a 
young  squirrel  which  I  had  the  luck  to  catch.  But 
the  lively  creature  bit  me ;  see  here,  Margaret !" 

"Evaleen  held  up  a  dainty  hand,  on  the  white- 
ness of  which  the  teeth  of  the  captive  had  left  a 
small  purple  wound.  In  her  playful  carelessness, 
she  let  fall  a  sprig  of  wind-flowers  and  two  or 
three  violets.  Arlington  gallantly  picked  up  the 
flowers. 

"What  peculiar  violets,"  said  he,  as  he  offered 
to  return  them. 

"Yes,  they  are  of  a  variety  found  only  on  this 
island,  I  am  told.  You  may  keep  them  if  you 
like." 

"I  presume,  Mr.  Arlington,"  said  Burr,  "that 
you  understand  the  language  of  flowers.  When 


52          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

I  was  of  the  sentimental  age  I  knew  the  floral 
alphabet  and  could  convey  all  manner  of  covert 
messages  through  the  agency  of  pinks  and 
pansies  and  rosebuds  and  all  the  sweet  go-be- 
tweens of  Cupid's  court.  The  blue  violet,  I  be- 
lieve, signifies  modesty,  does  it  not?" 

The  question  was  accompanied  by  a  look  at 
Miss  Hale,  who  made  no  reply,  not  appearing  to 
notice  the  appeal. 

"Our  native  Western  plants,"  said  the  hostess, 
"have  no  poetical  association.  The  Indians  were 
devoid  of  sentiment.  It  is  only  in  Persia  and  such 
romantic  lands  that  they  make  roses  and  lilies 
talk.  But  this  island  is  rich  in  its  flora.  Before 
you  resume  your  voyage  you  should  take  time  to 
visit  a  beautiful  spot  which  Miss  Evaleen  calls 
her  Violet  Bank.  It  is  on  a  bluff  overlooking  the 
river,  only  a  short  walk  from  here." 

At  Burr's  request,  Mrs.  Blennerhassett  was  in- 
duced to  talk  of  her  island  home  and  of  her  hus- 
band's pursuits.  It  gave  her  evident  relief  of 
mind  to  narrate  the  story  of  her  life's  trials  and 
vicissitudes  since  her  marriage.  She  spoke  with 
less  reserve  than  was  wise,  and  notwithstanding 
the  reverence  with  which  she  alluded  to  him,  the 
consort  she  unconsciously  described  seemed  at 
best  the  prince  of  Utopians.  That  he  was  wealthy 
and  lavish  could  not  be  doubted.  The  wife's  un- 
guarded revelations  gave  Burr  food  for  specu- 
lation. Many  pertinent  questions  by  him  elicited 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER       53 

answers  which  he  locked  away  in  the  safe  of 
memory. 

The  minutes  flew  rapidly — an  hour  went  by, 
yet  the  master  of  the  house  came  not,  and  at 
length  Madam  Blennerhassett  renewed  her  sug- 
gestion that  an  excursion  to  the  edge  of  the  island 
might  prove  pleasant. 

"We  shall  see  him  return  from  the  Ohio  shore ; 
at  least,  I  hope  so." 

She  reminded  her  guests  that  she  was  an  Eng- 
lishwoman, accustomed  to  long  walks,  and,  with 
the  buoyant  energy  of  an  Artemis,  led  the  way  to 
the  near  green  wood. 

"I  will  pilot  ahead  with  Colonel  Burr,  and  you, 
Mr.  Arlington,  shall  be  taken  care  of  by  Miss 
Hale,  who  is  as  familiar  as  a  dryad  with  these 
glades.  How  romantic !  Virginia  and  New  Eng- 
land wander  together  on  a  solitary  island  in  the 
Ohio." 

The  elevated  level  of  ground  upon  which  the 
party  halted  lay  open  to  the  sunshine,  and  it  was 
completely  covered  by  a  thick  bed  of  wild  pansies. 

The  view  from  this  fragant  knoll  surpassed  ex- 
pectation. While  the  admiring  spectators  were 
gazing  across  the  river,  now  on  the  village  of 
Belpre,  now  on  the  farther  off  rude  fortress  aptly 
named  Farmers'  Castle,  there  came  floating  by  a 
long,  slender  craft,  rigged  somewhat  like  a 
schooner,  and  displaying  from  its  mast  the  flag 
of  the  United  States.  The  music  of  a  violin, 


54          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

faintly  heard,  was  wafted  across  the  water  from 
the  deck,  upon  which  could  be  seen  a  bevy  of 
ladies,  a  few  dancing,  others  waving  hand- 
kerchiefs to  those  watching  from  the  island.  By 
means  of  a  field-glass  which  Mrs.  Blennerhassett 
handed  him,  Burr  could  bring  out  plainly  the 
forms  and  faces  of  the  passengers.  His  attention 
was  immediately  fixed  upon  one  striking  figure — 
that  of  a  woman  in  black,  who  stood  apart  from 
her  fellow-voyagers  in  a  pensive  attitude,  gazing 
into  the  sky.  A  cheer  arose  from  the  boat's  crew, 
and  the  report  of  a  small  cannon  boomed  and 
echoed  along  the  woody  shores ;  yet  Burr  still  held 
the  magnifying  lens  before  his  eye,  and  a  certain 
agitation  was  observable  in  his  behavior. 

"That,"  said  he,  handing  back  the  glass,  "is 
General  Wilkinson's  barge.  He  is  bound  for  St. 
Louis,  to  take  possession  of  his  domain  as  gover- 
nor of  Upper  Louisiana  and  commander-in-chief 
of  the  Army  of  the  West." 

For  a  time  the  four  stood  gazing  in  silence  at 
the  receding  craft.  Then  Madam  Blennerhassett, 
speaking  aside  to  Miss  Hale,  asked : 

"How  long  does  the  captain  intend  to  remain 
with  you  in  Marietta  ?  I  understand  he  has  orders 
to  proceed  to  the  general's  headquarters  for 
duty." 

The  answer  was  spoken  softly  and  with  a  ris- 
ing blush,  noticing  which,  Arlington  was  dis- 
quieted by  a  feeling  much  akin  to  jealousy. 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER        55 

"We  do  hope  he  may  stay  with  us  at  least  an- 
other fortnight." 

"In  that  case  we  will  expect  him  to  spend  a  few 
days  here.  I  wonder  what  detains  Harman  ?  He 
may  have  crossed  over  while  we  came  through  the 
grove.  Perhaps  we  shall  find  him  at  home  wait- 
ing for  us." 

With  sauntering  steps  the  four  returned 
through  the  twilight  of  the  woods,  breathing  the 
scent  of  new  leaves  and  now  and  then  stopping  to 
pick  a  stem  of  sweet  dicentra  or  a  white  adder- 
tongue.  Soon  after  they  reached  the  house  dinner 
was  served  in  a  style  distinctively  English.  Dur- 
ing this  meal,  and  afterward,  when  the  cheerful 
party  repaired  to  the  drawing-room,  Burr,  as  was 
expected  of  him,  assumed  the  leadership  in  con- 
versation. 

The  affluence  and  the  brilliancy  of  his  dis- 
course seemed  appropriate  to  the  splendor  of  the 
surroundings.  He  did  not  monopolize  the  talk, 
and  never  failed  to  return  an  appreciative  re- 
sponse to  any  remark  or  question.  To  the  ladies 
he  gave  the  most  deferential  attention.  Arling- 
ton, a  peer  in  the  social  realm,  felt  piqued  to  admit 
himself  outrivalled  by  an  undersized  widower 
who  was  a  grandfather. 

The  conversation,  in  which  Miss  Hale  now 
more  freely  participated,  flowed  afresh  in  livelier 
and  more  sparkling  stream — ripples  of  wit  and 
humor — foam-bells  of  nonsense.  The  Geneva 


56          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

clock  in  the  room  across  the  hall  struck  nine — 
struck  ten — but  its  musical  warning  was  not 
heard.  Nor  yet  did  the  lord  of  the  mansion  make 
his  appearance.  Madam  Blennerhassett  con- 
cealed the  secret  uneasiness  she  felt,  and  did  all 
she  could  to  contribute  to  the  pleasure  of  the  oc- 
casion by  every  delicate  art  of  hospitality.  She 
sang  a  Scottish  song,  she  spoke  piquantly  of  the 
amusing  phases  of  life  in  a  new  country,  and  of 
her  husband's  need  of  congenial  literary  asso- 
ciates. 

"He  is  compelled  more  and  more  to  depend 
upon  his  books.  Would  you  like,  colonel,  to  look 
into  the  library  for  a  moment?"  Burr  promptly 
rose  and  followed  his  queenly  hostess  into  the  ad- 
joining apartment. 

The  couple  left  together  in  the  drawing-room 
verified  the  homely  adage,  "Two  is  company." 
Arlington  might  have  said,  "My  blood  speaks  to 
you  in  my  veins,"  but  he  could  not  consistently 
quote  Bassanio's  other  words,  "Madam,  you 
have  bereft  me  of  all  speech."  From  the  presence 
of  Evaleen  he  received  access  of  eloquence;  the 
two  were  conscious  of  a  silent  interchange  of 
sentiments  more  meaningful  than  any  spoken 
word.  While  Evaleen  sat  listening  with  re- 
sponsive interest  to  some  frank  personal  dis- 
closures of  the  young  man's  hopes  and  ambitions, 
her  attention  was  diverted  by  a  slight  sound  on 
the  porch.  She  glanced  up,  and  saw,  or  thought 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER        57 

she  saw,  an  ugly  face  staring  at  her  through  a 
window-pane.  Her  sudden  pallor  and  dilated 
eye  were  observed  by  Arlington,  who  asked  in  a 
tone  of  gentle  solicitude : 

"What  is  it?" 

"I  saw  a  face  at  the  window — a  man  staring 
in." 

Arlington  immediately  left  the  room  and, 
softly  opening  the  door,  stepped  out  upon  the 
piazza,  and  looked  searchingly  in  every  direction. 
Not  a  sign  could  be  discovered  of  the  prowling 
eavesdropper  whose  shadowy  features  had 
frightened  Miss  Hale. 

"I  may  have  been  mistaken,"  she  said,  when 
Arlington  came  back,  ''but  I  am  almost  certain 
that  I  saw  a  hideous  face  at  the  window." 

The  effect  of  the  incident  was  to  give  the  con- 
versation of  the  two  a  somewhat  more  intimate 
character,  and  the  gentleman's  manner  assumed 
an  air  of  protective  regard  which  the  New  Eng- 
land beauty  did  not  repulse.  Her  resiliant  spirit 
soon  regained  its  wonted  gaiety. 

Meanwhile,  what  had  Aaron  Burr  found  to  in- 
terest him  so  long  in  the  sanctum  sanctorum  of 
the  lord  of  the  island  ? 

Blennerhassett's  study  was  both  library  and 
laboratory,  containing  philosophical  apparatus, 
musical  instruments  and  books.  The  shelves 
were  piled  with  scientific  works  and  standard 
editions  of  the  ancient  classics.  On  the  wall  hung 


58  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

a  large  oil  portrait  of  a  man  with  an  amiable, 
meditative  face,  not  wanting  in  agreeable  fea- 
tures, yet  not  indicative  of  force.  Burr  scanned 
the  indecisive  mouth,  the  handsome,  trustful 
eyes,  the  low  forehead,  at  the  middle  of  which  was 
parted  the  slightly  curling  mass  of  brown  hair. 
While  her  visitor  was  studying  the  picture,  the 
lady  stood  at  his  side,  perusing  him. 

"Well,  what  is  your  verdict?" 

"A  noble  face!  A  noble  face!"  he  repeated, 
turning  to  her  with  an  expression  subtly  sug- 
gestive that  his  interest  was  passing  from  the  flat, 
dead  canvas  of  the  absent  husband  to  the  breath- 
ing, beautiful  woman  he  was  addressing.  "A 
noble  face;  but  one  fact  puzzles  me.  Madam, 
pardon  my  candor.  I  cannot  understand  how 
your  husband  contents  himself  to  spend  an 
obscure  life  in  this  out-of-the-way  spot,  when 
his  education,  talents  and  fortune  qualify  him  for 
a  career  so  much  more  ambitious  and  useful.  I 
am  at  equal  loss  to  conceive  how  a  lady  of  your 
distinguished  birth,  breeding  and  accomplish- 
ments could  consent  to  exchange  the  splendid  op- 
portunities of  social  life  in  lofty  places  for  the 
domestic  quietude  of  a  rural  home,  however 
luxurious.  Things  cannot  make  us  happy,  human 
associations  only  can  do  that.  Is  it  possible  that 
you  are  satisfied  with  your  present  limited 
sphere?" 

"No,"  she  replied,  speaking  low,  "nor  is  he." 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER        59 

She  glanced  at  the  portrait.  "We  have  had  quite 
enough  of  this  self-banishment.  We  grow  dis- 
contented and  would  gladly  dispose  of  the  estate." 

"Madam,  you  are  not  unacquainted  with  the 
world.  You  derive  your  blood  from  a  noble 
source.  The  granddaughter  of  General  Agnew 
inherits  all  advantages  that  women  covet — rank, 
wealth,  culture,  beauty — and  you  have  a  husband 
who  appreciates  you."  When  in  the  enumeration 
of  her  endowments  Burr  pronounced  the  word 
beauty,  the  lady's  eyelids  drooped  and  a  per- 
ceptible constraint  came  over  both  the  woman  and 
the  man — he  not  feeling  sure  he  had  chosen  a 
safe  approach  to  her  favor — she  in  doubt  whether 
to  invite  or  to  repulse  further  personal  compli- 
ment. It  entered  his  consciousness  that  she 
might  become  part  of  his  political  plan — might 
somehow  abet  his  magnificent  purposes.  In  the 
pause  which  succeeded  his  appeal  to  her  self-love 
and  ambition  she  once  more  scanned  the  mild, 
meditative  countenance  beaming  from  the  pic- 
tured canvas. 

A  mesmeric  influence  drew  her  eyes  from  the 
portrait  to  encounter  those  of  Aaron  Burr,  re- 
garding her  with  a  gentle  look  of  wistful  melan- 
choly. The  color  deepened  in  her  cheeks,  and  her 
bosom  labored  with  an  inaudible  sigh. 

"Ah,  madam,  you  should  give  your  husband 
back  to  the  world  of  great  actions  suited  to  one  in 
whose  veins  runs  the  blood  of  a  king.  How  I 


60          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

wish  he  were  here  that  I  might  tell  him  so  in  your 
presence.  Give  him  my  profound  regrets.  We 
have  tarried  too  long." 

Madam  Blennerhassett  never  forgot  this  tete- 
a-tete  with  Burr;  but  an  inexplicable  qualm  kept 
her  from  mentioning  it  to  her  belated  lord  on  his 
return  from  Farmers'  Castle.  It  was  nearly  mid- 
night when  the  two  visitors  reluctantly  took  leave 
of  the  ladies  and  stepped  out  into  the  diffused 
light  of  the  May  moon. 

"Pretty  late,"  called  out  Burke  Pierce  famil- 
iarly from  the  stern  of  the  boat  where  he  stood, 
ready  to  resume  his  piloting. 

No  tattling  breeze  carried  to  the  ears  of  the 
ladies  the  comments  spoken  by  Burr  as  he  stood 
in  the  moonlight  on  the  roof  of  the  vessel,  beside 
Arlington. 

"Exceedingly  fine  women,  are  they  not?" 

The  Virginian  made  no  reply.  He  was  pinning 
to  the  lapel  of  his  coat  a  tiny  bunch  of  violets,  and 
his  face  was  turned  from  his  fellow-voyager. 

"Both  are  ladies  of  decided  individuality. 
They  are  amazingly  beautiful,  too,  and  possess 
unusual  force  of  character,  especially  the  captain's 
lady." 

"Damn  the  captain." 

"So  say  I.  You  stole  a  march  on  him  in  the 
Hesperian  Garden,  and  we  both  escaped  the  jaws 
of  the  absent  Dragon." 

Soon  after  their  guests  left  the  house  Madam 


IN  THE  LADIES'  BOWER       61 

Blennerhassett  and  Evaleen  Hale,  standing  by  an 
open  window  in  a  chamber  upstairs,  looked  out 
toward  the  wharf.  They  heard  the  voices  of  the 
watermen  and  the  noise  made  in  shoving  out 
from  the  gravel  beach.  Then  came  silence,  and 
they  knew  the  ark  was  adrift,  bearing  away  two 
passengers  whom  they  could  not  easily  forget, 
but  expected  never  to  meet  again. 

"How  delightful  he  is!"  mused  the  madam, 
speaking  more  to  herself  than  to  her  friend. 

"Do  you  think  so  ?"  returned  Evaleen  abstract- 
edly. 

"Perfectly  captivating!  A  brilliant  mind!  I 
am  charmed  with  him,  are  not  you  ?" 

"He  is  pleasant  enough,  but  too  bold,  too 
audacious,  isn't  he?" 

"Not,  I  think,  Evaleen,  for  a  person  of  his  age. 
We  expect  more  freedom  in  elderly  men." 

"Elderly!  Why,  he  can't  be  more  than 
twenty-five ! 

"Twenty-five!  My  dear  child,  he  has  a  mar- 
ried daughter !" 

"Oh,  you  are  speaking  of  Colonel  Burr!  I 
hate  him." 


VI. 

DOCTOR  DEVILLE   AND   HIS   LUCRECE. 

"BEHOLD  this  Ohio  city  of  the  Gauls.  Vol- 
ney's  ruins  of  modern  date — new  oldness — fresh 
decay — dilapidation  to  begin  with!  I  am  proud 
of  this  consummation  of  American  enterprise!" 

This  irony  was  uttered  by  Burr  to  Arlington 
as  the  two  men  stood  taking  a  first  look  at  Gal- 
lipolis,  a  poor  village,  consisting  of  a  dozen 
miserable  log  houses  patched  with  clay  and  oc- 
cupied by  a  score  of  wretched  French  families. 
The  travellers  had  walked  up  a  steep  bank  to  the 
natural  terrace  on  which  the  forlorn  dwellings 
stood. 

"Shall  we  go  back  to  our  boat?  Have  you 
seen  enough  of  Palmyra?  Here  are  the  palaces, 
but  where  are  the  citizens?  Ecce  Homo!  One 
inhabitant  turns  out  to  receive  us." 

The  person  to  whom  Arlington's  attention  was 
thus  called  was  a  small,  nervous  gentleman,  about 
sixty  years  old,  who  came  forth  from  a  white- 
washed cot,  and,  taking  off  a  scarlet  cap,  saluted 
the  strangers,  whom  he  had  eagerly  watched  from 
the  moment  of  their  landing. 

"Pardon,  messieurs.  Permit  that  I  speak. 
May  it  be  convenient  should  one  passenger  more 


DOCTOR  DEVILLE  63 

be  accommodated  in  your  polite  boat?  I  much 
wish  to  go  to  Cincinnati,  for  one  of  my  business 
very  special.  I  have  courage  to  ask  ze  bold  favor 
by  my  necessity  professional  to  come  to  mon 
frcre." 

"Ours  is  a  private  boat.  Do  you  say  it  is  to 
meet  a  brother  that  you  wish  to  go  to  Cincin- 
nati ?" 

The  old  man's  countenance  fell.  "Monsieur, 
accept  my  apology.  Permit  me  to  speak  my  ex- 
planation. Pardieu,  I  deceive  not.  When  I  speak 
I  shall  not  indicate  ze  son  of  my  mother,  but  I 
shall  indicate  ze  brother  in  medicine,  Monsieur 
Goforth,  ze  physician  celebre.  Pardon.  Pardon 
that  I  detain  you  so  long. 

Disappointed,  the  old  man  turned  toward  his 
modest  domicile,  at  the  door  of  which  stood  a 
petite  maiden  awaiting  the  issue  of  the  interview. 
Immediately  descrying  the  damsel,  Burr  re- 
marked aside  to  Arlington : 

"Another  alluring  petticoat.  Tree  nymphs  or 
naiads  haunt  every  island  and  green  bank." 

"Pere,"  asked  the  girl  anxiously,  in  a  gentle 
voice,  so  clear  that  every  word  she  spoke  reached 
the  ear  of  Burr,  "may  you  go  with  them  ?" 

The  father  shook  his  head. 

"Non,  cherie." 

He  went  up  to  his  daughter,  who  impulsively 
kissed  him,  as  if  to  solace  his  disappointment. 
He  seemed  about  to  enter  the  cottage,  when,  like 


64          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

one  suddenly  recollecting  a  neglected  duty,  he 
wheeled  round  and  again  approached  the 
strangers. 

"Do  me  ze  honor,  messieurs,  before  you  de- 
part to  enter  in  my  poor  dwelling  and  drink  with 
me  one  glass  of  wine." 

An  invitation  so  naively  extended  could  not  be 
declined.  Burr  felt  a  kindly  impulse  toward  the 
cordial  sire  and  was  not  averse  to  wasting  a  few 
stray  glances  on  mademoiselle. 

"It  will  give  us  great  pleasure  to  accept  your 
hospitality  and  also  to  have  your  company  as  our 
guest  on  the  boat.  There  is  room,  and  you  shall 
be  accommodated." 

The  doctor's  spirits  rose.  His  face  shone  with 
gratification. 

"Your  courtesy  lift  my  heart.  I  shall  never 
forsake  to  do  you  ze  friendly  service.  Is  it  con- 
venient now  that  we  present  us.  I  am  your 
servant,  Eloy  Deville." 

Having  imparted  his  own  name,  the  flighty 
Frenchman  waited  not  for  the  completion  of  the 
ceremony  he  had  proposed,  but,  taking  on  trust 
the  respectability  of  the  strangers,  he  hastily  led 
the  way  to  his  cottage.  Burr  noticed  that  he  was 
attired  in  a  tight-fitting  suit  of  brown  cloth,  clean 
and  well  pressed  but  threadbare  and  redeemed 
from  shabbiness  only  by  the  stitch  in  time.  The 
feminine  apparition  vanished  from  the  threshold 
as  the  travellers  approached,  but  the  father,  usher- 


DOCTOR  DEVILLE  65 

ing  them  in,  placed  chairs  beside  a  small  table,  and 
called  out  cheerily :  "Lucrece,  ma  chere  enfant  une 
bouteille  de  vin."  The  girl  promptly  obeyed  by 
carrying  in  a  salver  on  which  were  a  flask  and 
three  tiny  wine-glasses.  She  glided  to  the  table 
upon  which  she  set  her  light  burden,  keeping  her 
head  demurely  bowed  and  her  eyes  cast  down 
bashfully. 

"Messieurs,  permit  that  I  you  present  my 
daughter,  my  aide  chirurgeon."  Thus  intro- 
duced, Lucrece,  raising  her  head,  bestowed  a 
modest  smile  of  welcome  on  her  father's  guests 
and  divided  between  them  a  coy  courtesy. 

She  could  not  elude  the  pardonable  glances 
cast  upon  her  by  the  strangers — glances  which 
left  in  their  memories  the  form  and  face  of  a 
dainty  brunette  with  large  and  very  brilliant  black 
eyes.  Her  waist  was  slender,  her  hands  and  feet 
were  nimble  and  delicate,  and  her  dress  fitted  her 
so  neatly  that  she  looked  the  personation  of  trim- 
ness. 

"This  wine  is  not  original  of  Ohio.  No,  no. 
Ze  cask  was  from  Bordeaux,  very  old,  very  old — 
he  has  fourteen  years.  Presented  to  me  by  my 
countryman,  Comte  Malartie.  I  speak  ze  truth. 
From  this  very  cask  I  have  ze  honor  to  drink 
also  ze  health  of  ze  General  St.  Clair,  and  at  one 
time  of  Daniel  Boone.  Eh  bien!  Long  have  I 
suffer  in  this  wilderness;  it  is  fifteen  years  that 
Eloy  Deville  was  ze  fool  to  leave  France,  to  leave 


66  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

my  native  Lyons,  and  seek  ze  Terre  promise — 
to  find  ze  tree  of  natural  sugar,  ze  plants  also  with 
wax  candles  for  ze  fruit,  ze  no  work,  no  tax,  no 
war,  no  king — ze  paradise  on  ze  ground!  Oui, 
sold  I  not  all  my  property — take  ze  ship,  take  ze 
wagon,  ze  flatboat — en  route  pour  Gallipolis! 
Ah!  mon  dieu!  ze  damn  fever  kill  ma  femme;  you 
see  ze  old  Frenchman  in  ze  poverty;  voila  sa 
richesse!  une  cabane,  un  verre  de  vin — et  ma  bien 
aimee — ma  pauvre  fille — ma  Lucrece!" 

To  justify  his  grievance,  the  excited  man 
sprang  up  and  ran  to  a  drawer,  from  which  he 
took  an  old  French  map  of  the  Seven  Ranges  of 
the  Ohio,  representing  as  cleared  and  inhabited 
lands  large  tracts  of  unbroken  wilderness.  This 
chart  had  been  used  by  speculators  to  induce 
French  families  to  migrate  to  the  Ohio  Valley. 

"See!"  continued  Deville  explosively;  "ze 
scoundrel  Barlow  cheat  my  honest  poor  friends — 
he  print  here  no  veracity — he  draw  here  only  to 
deceive !  Look  on  this  place  I  put  my  finger" — 
he  tapped  the  paper  angrily — "you  see  ze 
Premiereville — ze  Premiereville ?  Eh?  I  come  to 
Premiereville — no  street — no  house,  only  ze 
forest  tree !  Messieurs,  my  little  axe  make  ze  first 
log  in  ze  city,  in  Premiereville,  where  we  drink 
now  this  wine." 

The  doctor's  preparations  for  the  trip  down  the 
river  were  quickly  made.  Half  the  population  of 
the  village,  led  by  Lucrece,  flocked  to  the  boat- 


DOCTOR  DEVILLE  67 

landing  to  see  him  safely  off.  After  the  pas- 
sengers had  gone  on  board,  and  while  the  damsel 
stood  waiting  their  departure,  Burke  Pierce,  leer- 
ing in  her  direction,  threw  her  a  kiss  and  as  the 
boat  was  pushed  off  began  to  sing  a  ribald  song. 
Deville  did  not  witness  the  insult,  but  Arlington, 
with  quick  anger  kindling  his  chivalrous  blood, 
strode  up  to  Pierce. 

"You  ought  to  be  flogged,  you  filthy  cur." 

The  boatman  scowled  and  clenched  his  fists, 
but  did  not  attempt  to  strike  the  imperious  South- 
erner. 

"Cur?  I'll  remember  that!"  he  muttered,  and 
swaggered  away.  "I'm  a  dog,  a  filthy  cur!  But 
I'll  have  my  day !"  he  growled  to  Sheldrake. 

The  loquacity  of  the  French  doctor  seemed  ac- 
celerated by  the  motion  of  the  boat  and  the  breezy 
freedom  of  its  deck.  Unlike  most  of  his  Gallic 
brethren  who  left  their  native  land  to  come  to 
America  in  1790,  he  was  in  sympathy  with  the 
Revolution,  and  had  rejoiced  at  the  falling  of  the 
Bastile.  By  chance  a  copy  of  the  Marseillaise 
Hymn  had  reached  him,  and  snatches  of  this  he 
would  sing,  keeping  time  to  the  music  with  his  own 
springing  steps  as  he  marched  up  and  down.  The 
cry  of  "Liberte,  Egalite,  Fraternite,"  often  broke 
from  his  lips.  When  Burr  opened  to  him  part  of 
the  plausible  scheme  against  Mexico  he  eagerly 
volunteered  to  join  any  expedition  gotten  up  in 
the  name  of  freedom.  He  proffered  his  services 


68  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

as  surgeon,  and  asked  with  amusing  simplicity 
what  would  be  the  emoluments. 

"Sacre!"  exclaimed  he.  "II  faut  vivre!  Let 
us  destroy  ze  Spaniard.  Vive  I'amerique!  Vive 
le  General  Bur-r-r!  Vive  Eloy  Deville!" 

The  tedious  passage  from  Gallipolis  to  Cincin- 
nati required  almost  a  week's  time.  On  the  last 
day  of  the  voyage,  soon  after  breakfast,  while 
Burr  and  Deville  were  enjoying  the  morning  sun- 
shine and  discussing  the  French  Revolution, 
Arlington  heard  a  knock  on  the  door  of  his  room, 
in  which  he  sat  writing  a  letter. 

"Come  in,"  he  shouted,  hurrying  to  pen  down 
the  sentence  that  was  in  his  mind.  The  door 
opened,  and  Burke  Pierce  thrust  his  head  and 
shoulders  into  the  room.  Arlington  glanced  up 
from  his  writing  and  saw  a  flushed  face  and  a 
pair  of  bloodshot  eyes. 

"You  know  what  you  called  me  up  at  Gal- 
lipolis ?" 

"Yes — dog." 

"I'm  a  dog,  eh?  a  filthy  cur?" 

The  Virginian  made  an  impatient  gesture  and 
dipped  his  quill  into  the  ink.  The  drunken  boat- 
man after  a  moment's  pause  said : 

"I  want  you  out  here  in  the  kitchen." 

Arlington  paid  no  attention  to  the  insolent 
speech,  but  went  on  with  his  letter  writing. 

Pierce,  without  closing  the  door,  stepped  back 
into  the  narrow  quarters  in  which  Sheldrake  did 


DOCTOR  DEVILLE  69 

the  cooking,  and  a  minute  later  reappeared  with 
two  long  butcher  knives,  which  he  flung  down  on 
the  table,  in  front  of  Arlington. 

"Take  your  choice." 

Arlington  picked  up  both  the  ugly  weapons, 
one  in  each  hand,  and  stepping  to  a  window, 
tossed  them  out  into  the  river.  The  contemptuous 
act  raised  the  fury  of  the  captain  to  the  point  of 
frenzy;  he  seized  a  stick  of  firewood  and  rushed 
forward.  Arlington  parried  the  stroke,  closed  in, 
and  grappled  his  assailant.  The  noise  of  the 
scuffle  brought  to  the  place  Sheldrake  and  others 
of  the  crew.  Summoning  all  his  strength, 
Arlington  hurled  Pierce  backward  over  a  chair 
with  such  violence  that  the  ruffian,  falling  on  his 
head,  was  rendered  senseless.  The  Southerner 
stood  on  the  defensive,  expecting  to  be  attacked 
by  the  others,  as  he  would  have  been,  had  not  Burr 
strode  into  the  room,  followed  by  the  French 
doctor.  The  colonel's  sudden  appearance  on  the 
scene  prevented  further  turbulent  demon- 
strations. The  three  passengers  repaired  to  the 
deck,  leaving  the  drunken  captain  to  be  revived 
by  his  faithful  henchman,  Sheldrake. 

Arlington  in  few  words  told  how  he  had  been 
challenged,  not  stating  any  cause  for  Burke 
Pierce's  animosity. 

"Wanted  to  butcher  you  without  provocation! 
Has  the  fellow  gone  mad?" 

"Mad  from  drink." 


yo          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"This  fellow's  bellicose  propensity,"  said  Burr, 
"must  be  punished.  I  shall  have  him  arrested  by 
the  first  magistrate  I  can  find." 

"Not  on  my  account,  colonel.  He'll  sober  off. 
Your  unctuous  agent  in  Pittsburg  allowed  that 
when  cap  is  drunk  he's  vicious." 

"Sacre!  burst  in  the  doctor,  "not  always  a 
gentleman  shall  be  able  to  observe  formality  in  a 
quarrel  with  ze  savage.  I  who  tell  it  you  was  one 
time  attack  on  this  very  river  by  three  red  devil 
in  ze  canoe.  See  here,  ze  scar  on  my  head !  Ze 
wild  gentlemen  make  no  ceremony — he  yell,  and 
he  shall  right  away  take  ze  scalp  with  his  knife. 
Pardieu!  By  good  chance  I  shoot  ze  one  im- 
polite Iroquoix — and  ze  two.  his  second,  paddle 
away !" 

"We  must  beat  our  swords  and  pistols  into 
scalping-knives  and  bludgeons,"  remarked  Burr, 
banteringly.  "The  code  of  honor  is  not  observed 
by  Indians  or  Western  boatmen.  Mr.  Arlington, 
you  may  be  compelled  to  adapt  yourself  to  the 
customs  of  the  country." 


VII. 

CONSPIRACY. 

NEAR  Yeatman's  Cove,  at  the  foot  of  Sycamore 
Street,  Cincinnati,  stood  a  commodious  tavern, 
built  with  some  reference  to  architectural  ef- 
fect. Being  directed  to  this  resort,  the  party 
from  the  boat  climbed  the  slope  of  the  levee, 
ascended  a  flight  of  wooden  steps,  and  en- 
tered the  vestibule  of  the  inn,  a  long,  nar- 
row corridor  which  the  landlord  considered 
very  imposing.  The  first  objects  to  attract 
attention  in  this  public  haunt  were  life-size 
wax-figures  of  two  men  fighting  a  duel.  One  of 
the  figures  represented  Burr  with  an  aimed  pistol 
in  hand,  the  other  Hamilton  staggering  forward 
mortally  wounded.  To  Arlington  Burr  remarked 
as  they  passed  by  the  waxen  show : 

'The  artist  makes  me  a  beauty,  don't  he? 
What  boots !  What  eyes !" 

Seldom  had  genial  Grif  Yeatman  welcomed 
guests  more  desirable  and  less  like  one  another 
than  were  the  strongly  individualized  men  who 
came  from  the  flatboat  to  his  tavern  to  take  tem- 
porary lodging  before  hunting  up  the  several 
citizens  they  wished  to  meet. 

Burr's  arrival  in  the  embryo  Queen  City  of  the 


72  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

West  was  noised  from  house  to  house,  and  within 
an  hour  many  citizens  had  called  to  shake  hands. 
The  suave  New  York  politician  had  partisan  ad- 
herents and  personal  friends  in  the  Buckeye  State. 
Among  these  was  John  Smith,  whose  acquaint- 
ance he  had  made  in  Washington — the  Hon.  John 
Smith,  one  of  the  first  two  senators  representing 
Ohio  in  Congress. 

Burr  procured  a  fine  saddle-horse,  and  after 
bidding  good-by  to  Arlington  set  out  to  visit  the 
Senator  who  lived  some  twelve  miles  from  town. 
The  solitary  horseman  was  not  sorry  to  leave  be- 
hind him  the  raw  metropolis,  the  dirty  streets  of 
which  were  lined  with  log  cabins  and  dingy  white 
frame  houses.  Beyond  Deer  Creek  the  horseman 
spurred  eastward  along  a  black  loamy  wagon 
road,  trotting  through  groves  and  half-cleared 
fields  until  he  passed  a  small  hamlet  bearing  the 
great  name  Columbia.  Beyond  this  cluster  of 
habitations  lay  Turkey  Bottom,  so  named  on  ac- 
count of  the  wild  flocks  which  made  it  their  re- 
sort. Burr  selected  the  most  distinctly  marked  of 
the  several  discernible  trails  and  traces  in  the 
mazy  wilderness  before  him.  Uncertain  wheel 
tracks  indicated  that  the  backwoods  farmers, 
whose  cabins  were  never  less  than  a  mile  apart, 
took  various  routes,  according  to  their  fancy  or 
the  exigencies  of  the  season.  At  one  place  a  tree, 
recently  blown  down,  lay  across  the  bridle- 


CONSPIRACY  73 

path,  and,  while  guiding  his  horse  around  this 
obstacle  the  rider  saw  a  brown  bear  lurch  off, 
swaying  its  head  in  sulky  humor. 

The  grandeur  of  the  primeval  solitude  im- 
pressed Burr  more  profoundly  than  he  had 
imagined  possible.  The  solemn  majesty  of  the 
brotherhood  of  lofty  trees  around  and  above  him 
inspired  awe.  A  sense  of  bewilderment  stole  upon 
him.  "Am  I  lost  in  the  woods?"  he  wondered, 
looking  around  for  signs  of  human  life.  So 
strange  did  everything  appear  that  he  was  in 
doubt  whether  the  log  house  not  a  hundred  feet 
ahead  of  him  was  an  actual  structure.  The  house 
was  real,  and  in  the  dooryard  he  saw  a  human 
being  busy  about  some  task.  He  rode  up  and 
asked  the  way  to  Senator  Smith's. 

"Smith?  You  mean  Elder  Smith?"  gossipped 
a  woman,  pausing  from  her  soap-making,  near  an 
ash-hopper.  "Some  do  call  him  Senator,  and 
some  call  him  Preacher,  but  most  call  him  Elder 
Smith  or  else  plain  John." 

"Does  he  preach  ?" 

"Yes;  some  Sundays;  generally  he  only  ex- 
horts. Turn  to  your  right  after  passing  that 
wild-cherry,  and  you  will  see  the  Miami;  follow 
along  up  stream,  and  you  can't  miss  sight  of  the 
mill  and  the  still-house.  They  belong  to  him,  and 
so  does  the  big  store  at  Columbia.  John  Smith  is 
the  richest  man  in  these  parts,  but  he  isn't  proud 


74          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

and  stuck  up.  When  you  come  to  the  mill  they'll 
show  the  way  to  the  house.  A  mighty  fine  house 
it  is." 

Burr  thanked  the  woman  and  spurred  on. 
"Smith  is  worth  the  trouble  of  coming  out  for  to 
see.  No  broken  reed,  but  a  pillar  of  state  and 
church  is  this  same  senator,  elder,  farmer, 
merchant,  miller  and  distiller."  Thus  meditating, 
the  fisher  of  men  followed  the  road  by  the  cherry- 
tree  and  along  the  river,  and  soon  reached  Smith's 
lonely  dwelling,  a  new  farmhouse,  constructed  of 
hewn  logs  and  having  a  huge  stone  chimney.  Dis- 
mounting, Burr  stepped  upon  the  porch  and 
knocked  at  the  door.  The  summons  was  answered 
by  Mrs.  Smith,  who,  though  a  senator's  wife,  was 
country  bred  and  untaught  in  artificial  usages. 
She  received  the  urbane  stranger  with  a  timidity 
amounting  almost  to  trepidation. 

Her  husband  had  gone  to  the  woods  to  cut  a 
wagon  pole,  and  pending  his  return  Burr  waited 
in  the  front  room  of  the  log  mansion,  and  made 
a  heroic  effort  to  melt  the  ice  of  reserve  which 
seemed  to  congeal  Mrs.  Smith's  flow  of  speech. 
Seldom  had  he  failed  in  the  winning  art  of  con- 
versation, especially  with  women.  Ladies  were 
his  favorite  pursuit,  if  not  his  prey.  But  Elder 
Smith's  wife  proved  unapproachable  by  language 
of  tongue  or  eye.  Talking  to  her  was  like  talk- 
ing to  a  lay  figure  with  vocal  and  locomotive 
organs. 


CONSPIRACY  75 

Luckily  or  otherwise,  an  unexpected  diversion 
was  in  store  for  Burr — a  role  which  he  did  not 
anticipate  devolved  upon  him,  and  required  him 
to  play  his  part  in  a  dramatic  scene  with  a  char- 
acter much  more  sympathetical  than  Mrs.  Smith. 
From  the  moment  he  crossed  the  threshold  to 
enter  the  plain  parlor  he  had  been  conscious  of  a 
fugitive  fragrance,  scarcely  perceptible,  which  he 
recognized  as  the  scent  of  Parisian  musk,  a  per- 
fume much  in  favor  with  the  exquisite  beaux  and 
belles  of  that  day.  The  tell-tale  odor  was  rem- 
iniscent of  past  gallantries,  and  it  served  in  a 
subtle  way  to  herald  the  coming  of  a  person  whose 
appearance  suggested  knowledge  of  the  gay 
world.  Not  uncurious  to  steal  a  glance  at  the 
strange  visitor,  a  woman,  tastefuly  arrayed  in 
sable  robes,  entered  unannounced  from  a  cozy 
side-room.  An  unbidden  blush  betokened  her  sur- 
prise and  emotion.  Burr  blenched  slightly,  but 
neither  the  red  signal  nor  its  effect  was  observed 
by  Mrs.  Smith,  who,  glad  to  shift  the  task  of  en- 
tertaining Colonel  Burr,  introduced  him  to  Mrs. 
Rosemary. 

"You  will  please  excuse  me;  I'll  send  a  boy  to 
the  woods  for  Mr.  Smith.  Make  yourselves  at 
home;  we  housekeepers  in  the  country  have  a 
good  many  chores." 

Like  the  practical  Martha  that  she  was,  Dame 
Smith,  cumbered  with  much  prospective  serving, 
hastened  to  the  dining-room  to  set  the  table.  On 


76  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

her  exit  from  the  parlor  she  closed  the  door  be- 
hind her,  not  having  the  slightest  suspicion  that 
chance  had  made  her  house  a  place  of  clandestine 
meeting. 

"Salome!    Can  it  be  you?" 

"It  can,  if  we  are  not  both  in  a  delirium.  I  did 
not  expect  ever  to  see  you  again.  Who  could  in- 
duce Aaron  Burr  to  come  to  Ohio  ?" 

"Perhaps  an  irresistible  attraction — some  spell 
of  bewitchment.  You  must  inform  me.  What 
brings  you  to  this  wandering  wood  like  a  lost 
Una?" 

"Business.  I  came  a  passenger  on  General 
Wilkinson's  barge.  We  had  a  delightful  voyage, 
a  May  festival,  gaiety,  music,  dancing." 

"Do  you  recollect  passing  Bacchus  Island  ?" 

"Yes.  Why  do  you  ask?  We  floated  by  the 
interesting  place  one  heavenly  afternoon.  We 
saw  four  persons  looking  at  us  from  a  high  bank 
— two  couples  that  seemed  strolling  lovers.  I 
wondered  if  either  of  the  women  could  be  the 
beautiful  Madam  Blennerhassett.  We  were 
dancing  on  the  deck — that  is,  the  other  ladies 
were;  I  do  not  now  dance." 

"I  grieve  to  see  that  you  do  not,  Mrs.  Rose- 
mary. I  did  not  even  know  that  you  had  become 
his  wife;  these  mournful  robes  tell  me  you  are  a 
widow." 

"You  did  not  know?  Do  you  care?  You 
grieve  to  see  me  a  widow?  Ah,  me!  Men  are 


CONSPIRACY  77 

consistent.  Let  me  explain  the  cause  of  my  com- 
ing West.  I  own  ever  so  much  land  near  Cincin- 
nati and  a  whole  block  of  town  lots,  bequeathed 
to  me  by  my  late  husband.  George  was  kinder 
to  me  than  I  deserved.  When  I  read  his  will  I 
cried.  I  went  to  my  lawyer  in  Philadelphia  and 
asked  what  I  should  do  to  realize  most  on  this 
Ohio  property.  He  advised  me  to  come  here,  and 
have  the  title  examined,  and  learn  the  real  value 
of  the  land,  and  he  gave  me  a  letter  to  Senator 
Smith,  who,  he  said,  was  a  good  man,  one  who 
knows  about  law  and  deeds  and  everything.  So 
I  am  here.  These  pokey  people  are  very  obliging ; 
they  insisted  I  should  lodge  with  them  until  my 
affairs  were  settled.  Now  you  have  my  story — 
tell  me  yours.  As  for  my  bereavement — my 
heart  history — why  speak  of  that?"  A  film  of 
tears  dimmed  her  eyes  as  Burr  made  answer  in 
soothing  words. 

"I  am  to  blame.  Let  us  not  pain  ourselves  by 
talking  or  thinking  of  death  or  mourning.  I 
dreamt  lately  of  you  as  you  now  appear.  How 
beautiful  and  brilliant  you  look  in  black,  Salome. 
Pardon  me,  Madam  — ,  I  knew  you  by  that  name 
in  the  past,  and  you  must  not  be  offended  if  I 
recall." 

"Ah !  do  not  recall.  I  am  willing  for  you  to  let 
bygones  be  bygones — if — you — desire.  Do  you 
like  this  black  gown  better  than  the  blue  brocaded 
one  I  wore  that  evening  at  Princeton?" 


78  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"How  can  I  decide?  You  always  dress  in  per- 
fect taste.  Whatever  you  wear  is  pretty,  and  you, 
I  am  sure,  are  lovelier  than  ever." 

Smilingly  the  young  widow  sighed,  then  in  a 
listening  attitude,  with  finger  on  lip,  whispered, 
"Sh!  Our  hostess!"  and  changing  her  voice 
continued  in  a  tone  of  conventional  languor: 
"Yes,  the  weather  is  very  fine.  We  were  remark- 
ing, Mrs.  Smith,  how  sweet  and  pure  the  atmos- 
phere." 

"Well,  yes;  the  air  seems  fresh  and  healthy, 
but  we  have  a  touch  of  malaria  now  and  then  in 
this  Miami  Valley." 

Hon.  John  Smith,  having  chopped  down  a 
hickory  sapling  to  make  a  coupling  pole,  put  his 
axe-craft  to  further  use  by  cutting  off  a  forked 
bough,  crooked  by  Nature,  in  the  exact  shape  for 
a  pack-saddle.  Satisfied  with  these  forest  spoils, 
the  rustic  statesman  returned  to  his  house,  where 
Burr  met  him  with  a  cordial  grasp  and  a  ready 
tribute  of  adulation. 

"My  dear  Senator,  this  is  like  greeting  Cincin- 
natus  on  the  pastoral  side  of  Tiber,  where  he 
dwelt  in  domestic  peace  with  his  wife  Racilia." 

The  salutation  gratified  the  Member  of  Con- 
gress, for  he  was  susceptible  to  flattery,  and  knew 
enough  of  Roman  history  to  understand  the  al- 
lusion to  Cincinnatus,  though  he  had  never  before 
heard  of  Racilia.  He  valued  the  evidence  of 
Burr's  esteem,  implied  in  the  pilgrimage  the 


CONSPIRACY  79 

latter  had  taken  the  trouble  to  make,  and  no  effort 
was  spared  to  load  the  colonel  with  proofs  that  his 
visit  was  appreciated. 

In  Washington,  Burr  had  known  Smith  only 
slightly  and  officially  as  one  of  the  senators  from 
Ohio.  In  the  retirement  of  a  lonely  farm  hourly 
companionship  fostered  intimacy.  Conversation 
forgot  constraint ;  the  two  freely  unfolded  to  each 
other  their  thoughts,  feelings  and  hopes,  and  a 
community  of  ideas  was  gradually  established  be- 
tween them.  Burr  encouraged  personal  rev- 
elation and  solicited  confidential  opinions.  He 
affected  warm  interest  in  the  details  of  Smith's 
affairs — farming  operations,  grinding  of  wheat 
and  corn,  profitable  sales  of  whiskey,  and  growing 
trade  at  the  Columbia  store.  Neither  the  piety  of 
the  preacher  nor  the  patriotism  of  the  senator 
could  quell  in  Smith  the  cupidity  of  the  fortune- 
builder.  Adroitly  did  Burr  shift  the  trend  of  dis- 
course to  suit  his  own  ends,  leading  the  elder  by 
plausible  arguments  to  accept  as  logical  the 
sophistry  of  self-love  and  greed.  The  word  busi- 
ness was  stretched  to  cover  a  multitude  of  sins ; 
the  new  dictionary  of  self-aggrandizement  con- 
cealed a  spurious  gospel  of  intrigue  and  treason. 

Spoken  words  are  but  breath,  and  who  can  re- 
port all  that  passed  between  the  tempter  and  the 
tempted  ?  Or  who  can  be  sure  that  the  craftiness 
of  the  guest  was  greater  than  the  cunning  of  the 
host?  The  nebulous  emanations  of  Burr's  mind 


80          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

were  rounding  into  a  definite  world  of  purpose. 
He  invoked  the  aid  of  the  Hon.  John  Smith  to 
set  the  new  planet  revolving.  Conspiracy  was 
planned  in  the  woods  and  fields  of  a  quiet  farm  in 
the  valley  of  the  Little  Miami. 

Burr,  yielding  to  persuasion,  protracted  his 
stay  almost  a  week,  being  feasted  and  lodged  in 
the  country  house.  Many  were  the  spoken  con- 
fidences and  frequent  the  "fair,  speechless 
messages"  which  passed  between  him  and  Mrs. 
Rosemary,  as  occasion  offered,  while  they  lin- 
gered at  the  home  of  their  common  friend 
and  counsellor.  On  the  day  preceding  that 
of  Burr's  departure,  a  bright  Sunday,  they 
accompanied  the  Smith  family  to  a  religious 
service  held  in  a  maple  grove,  near  the  Miami. 
The  devout  farmers,  who,  with  their  wives  and 
children,  came  many  miles  to  the  place  of  worship, 
observed  with  solemn  eyes  of  approbation  that 
Burr  studied  his  hymn-book  and  small  gilded 
Bible,  and  that  the  demure  lady  by  his  side, 
dressed  in  mourning,  looked  the  pattern  of  saintly 
piety.  While  going  home  from  the  camp  meeting, 
supporting  Mrs.  Rosemary  on  his  arm,  Burr  spoke 
feelingly  of  himself,  his  hopes,  and  secret  plans. 
Then  it  was  that  he  told  his  lovely  partner  about 
his  contemplated  Southern  empire  which,  he  de- 
clared, would  be  an  elysium  for  women.  Then  it 
was  that  he  gallantly  offered  to  invest  to  her  ad- 
vantage any  portion  of  the  cash  she  might  realize 


CONSPIRACY  8 1 

from  the  sale  of  her  deceased  husband's  estate. 
She  hung  on  his  arm  confidingly  and  promised  to 
consider  his  words. 

Sitting  on  the  porch  in  the  Sabbath  twilight 
beside  Salome,  Burr  softly  intoned  his  regret 
that  in  the  morning  he  must  part  from  her.  Sport- 
fully he  drew  from  her  finger  a  diamond  ring. 
"Do  you  want  it  back  after  all  these  years?"  she 
murmured.  "No,  dear,  you  shall  have  it  again  in 
a  moment."  He  turned  to  a  window,  and  with 
the  sparkling  stylus  incised  some  delicate  char- 
acters upon  a  pane  of  glass.  Then  he  returned  the 
ring  to  its  owner,  who,  after  perusing  the  in- 
scription, looked  round  into  his  face,  her  own 
radiant  with  happiness. 

The  window-pane  remained  unbroken  for 
nearly  a  century,  and  the  writing  on  it  was  always 
shown  to  strangers  visiting  the  old  historic  home- 
stead. The  cutting  diamond  traced  two  names 
upon  the  glass — those  of  Senator  Smith's  transi- 
tory guests.  Many  a  sentimental  girl,  pausing 
over  the  double  inscription,  and  mildly  condemn- 
ing Burr,  has  wondered  whatever  became  of 
Salome  Rosemary. 


VIII. 

.  DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND 

BEARING  in  mind  his  hours  of  cautious  inter- 
view with  the  elder  and  minutes  of  furtive  dal- 
liance with  the  widow,  Burr  rode  back  to  Cincin- 
nati, and  regretful  that  he  had  lost  the  com- 
panionship of  Arlington,  resumed  his  house- 
keeping and  his  journey  on  the  flatboat,  which  he 
now  christened  Salome. 

Burke  Pierce  was  retained  as  captain,  not- 
withstanding his  late  atrocious  conduct. 

"I  didn't  know  what  I  was  about,"  he  as- 
severed,  in  self-exculpation;  "I  was  full  of 
Monongahela,  and  there's  a  quarrel  in  every  pint 
of  that  and  manslaughter  in  every  quart." 

Burr,  whose  prospective  foray  in  Mexico  would 
require  the  service  of  all  the  dare-devils  who 
could  be  enlisted,  did  not  scruple  to  conciliate  this 
outlaw,  nor  to  give  him  an  inkling  of  warlike  prep- 
arations against  the  Spaniard.  Pierce,  flattered 
by  this  confidence,  readily  volunteered  to  lend  his 
aid  at  any  time  to  whatever  enterprise  Burr  might 
propose,  and,  like  one  of  the  tools  of  Brutus,  he 
was  ready  to  say,  "Set  on  your  foot ;  I  follow  you 
to  do  I  know  not  what."  Yet  he  knew  more  than 
might  be  supposed,  of  the  history,  official  rank  and 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      83 

designs  of  his  employer.  To  the  soothing  counsel, 
"You  must  not  bear  malice  toward  that  young 
Virginian;  remember,  he  is  one  of  us."  Burke 
replied  with  a  nod  and  a  sinister  laugh. 

The  Salome  was  moored  at  the  landing  near 
Fort  Massac.  General  Wilkinson,  whose  barge 
lay  in  port,  was  stopping  temporarily  at  this  sta- 
tion before  proceeding  to  his  headquarters  in  St. 
Louis.  Burr  must  win  Wilkinson,  and  to  the  win- 
ning of  an  ally  so  influential  he  must  bring  to  bear 
all  the  arts  of  address  and  insinuation,  for  he  had 
to  deal  with  a  wily  character.  Yet  he  did  not  doubt 
that,  by  discreet  appeals  to  the  vanity  and  cupidity 
of  the  general,  he  could  induce  that  blandest  of 
politicians  to  embark  in  an  enterprise  which 
promised  evergreen  laurels  and  rich  returns  of 
gold. 

Arrayed  in  his  best  cloth,  with  boots  freshly 
polished  and  face  smoothly  shaven,  with  queue 
and  ruffles  in  perfect  condition,  a  Beau  Brummel 
of  exterior  proprieties  and  a  Machiavelli  in 
finesse,  Aaron  Burr  presented  himself  at  the  bar- 
racks, and  was  welcomed  with  effusive  cordiality 
by  his  friend  and  comrade.  The  two  shook  hands 
with  the  hearty  familiarity  of  veterans  glad  to  re- 
new old  associations. 

"Colonel  Burr,  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  here. 
Your  letter,  written  in  Philadelphia,  reached  me 
at  the  capital.  Pray,  take  this  big  chair;  it  is 
rather  comfortable." 


84  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Very  elegant,  I  should  say,  general,  especially 
for  a  remote  outpost  like  this.  The  Government, 
I  imagine,  does  not  furnish  you  with  such  costly 
articles." 

"Oh,  no,  no,  certainly  not;  the  chair  is  part  of 
the  furniture  of  my  barge.  I  must  provide  myself 
with  these  necessaries  from  my  private  purse. 
Necessaries,  I  say;  for  use  breeds  wants;  I  was 
habituated  from  my  birth  to  social  refinements, 
ease  and  the  luxuries  of  the  table. — You  must 
take  a  cup  of  kindness  with  me.  What  will  you 
drink?  I  have  here  sherry,  whiskey,  peach- 
brandy  and  apple-jack." 

The  general,  as  he  enumerated  the  liquors, 
stepped  to  the  sideboard,  which,  with  its  array  of 
bottles,  looked  like  a  bar. 

Wilkinson  was  a  handsome  man,  about 
forty-eight  years  old.  Slightly  under  the  aver- 
age height,  he  was  of  symmetrical  figure,  and 
his  countenance  was  agreeable,  despite  a  deeply 
florid  complexion.  He  held  his  head  well,  his 
walk  was  firm  and  dignified,  and  his  bearing 
was  graceful.  The  well-fitting  suit  of  blue  and 
yellow  uniform  which  he  wore  with  an  air  of 
pomp  and  authority  was  very  becoming  to  his 
noble  form. 

Burr,  out  of  courtesy,  drank  a  glass  of  light 
wine,  but  his  entertainer,  apologizing  for  his  own 
robuster  taste,  poured  out  a  stiff  tumbler  of 
brandy,  which  he  swallowed  with  relish. 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      85 

"I  congratulate  you,  general,"  began  Burr,  "on 
your  appointment  to  the  governorship.  The 
President  showed  wisdom  in  his  selection." 

"I  appreciate  your  confidence,  colonel.  My 
good  name  is  my  pearl  of  price.  In  the  many  sta- 
tions I  have  filled  I  have  always  tried  to  do  my 
duty,  and  shall  try  in  this.  I  owe  it  to  you,  my 
dear  sir,  to  say  so  much,  for  I  believe  I  am  in- 
debted to  the  late  Vice-President  for  my  new 
position.  Mr.  Jefferson  is  understood  to  have  ap- 
pointed Wilkinson  as  a  mark  of  favor  to  Colonel 
Burr." 

"Possibly  so;  I  claim  no  credit.  But  I  am 
sincerely  glad  you  are  the  man.  The  office  is  no 
sinecure.  The  state  of  feeling  in  regard  to  the 
Spanish  boundary  is  ominous.  Shall  you  be  able 
to  adjust  the  matter  amicably  or  will  the  dispute 
result  in  war  ?" 

"That  is  a  question  events  must  answer.  I  am 
devoted  to  my  country  and  her  interests,  and 
whether  as  a  leader  of  her  armies  or  as  governor 
of  part  of  her  wide  domain  I  shall  proceed  with  an 
eye  single  to  those  interests." 

"I  know,  general,  that  whatever  is  right  and 
just  you  will  do,  and  I  assume  that  when  you 
speak  of  devotion  to  your  country  and  her  inter- 
ests, you  mean  the  people  and  their  interests. 
Under  a  properly  constituted  government  there 
should  be  no  conflict  between  the  welfare  of  the 
nation  and  the  welfare  of  the  individuals  compris- 


86  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

ing  the  nation.  If  the  authority  of  an  arbitrary 
government  prove  oppressive,  or  if  the  liberties 
of  those  dwelling  in  a  section  be  disregarded,  I 
hold  to  the  good  old  democratic  rule  that  the  in- 
jured have  a  right  to  protest  and  to  resist.  The 
principles  for  which  you  and  I  fought  were  the 
principles  of  individual  liberty  and  of  State 
sovereignty.  We  were  revolutionists." 

"Yes,"  said  Wilkinson,  playing  with  one  of  his 
brass  buttons,  "I  fully  agree  with  your  funda- 
mental propositions." 

"But  you  don't  see  how  they  are  going  to  help 
you  in  adjusting  the  boundary  line  between  our 
country  and  the  Spanish  possessions.  I  have  a 
suggestion  to  make.  There  ought  to  be  no 
boundary  line  at  all  between  the  two  countries. 
This  -republic,  or  perhaps  I  should  say,  the  West- 
ern people,  should  wash  out  that  line  with  Spanish 
blood,  and  make  Louisiana  and  Mexico  one 
domain.  I  go  in  for  war." 

"There  is  prospect  of  war,  Colonel  Burr,  but 
Congress  and  the  President  seem  timid  about 
making  an  open  declaration.  In  case  hostilities 
should  be  precipitated  by  the  Spaniards — " 

"What  in  that  case?" 

"Why,  then  an  invasion  of  Mexico  might  be  a 
military  necessity." 

"Invasion  ?  Would  not  the  conquest  of  Mexico 
be  easy?  A  sufficient  force  can  be  raised." 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      87 

Wilkinson  left  off  toying  with  his  button  and 
looked  far  away — far  as  Mexico,  far  as  the 
fPacific  Ocean. 

"You  are  aware,  governor — no  man  living  has 
ampler  knowledge  of  the  facts  than  you  have — 
that  only  five  or  six  years  ago  Washington  and 
Hamilton  planned  and  were  about  to  execute  a 
project  to  seize  the  Spanish  provinces,  with 
British  aid.  The  pretext  was  war  with  France, 
the  real  object  was  to  take  New  Orleans,  probably 
Mexico.  You  were  the  person  whom  they  wisely 
entrusted  with  the  management  of  the  business." 

"Yes,  but  not  with  the  command  of  the 
troops." 

"No;  you  were  to  organize  the  Legion  of  the 
West,  not  to  lead  it  to  victory,  as  you  surely  would 
have  done  had  opportunity  offered.  Hamilton 
secured  the  leadership  as  his  perquisite  and  was 
careful  to  see  that  I  was  not  advanced.  He 
dissuaded  Washington  from  choosing  me 
quartermaster.  But  they  could  not  obscure  my 
name  nor  dim  your  reputation.  The  people  know 
what  is  what  and  who  is  who.  They  know  'little 
Burr'  and  they  know  the  'Washington  of  the 
West.'  " 

Wilkinson  sat  up  straighter  in  his  chair. 

"The  epoch  in  which  it  has  been  my  lot  to  live 
has  been  eventful.  I  little  dreamed,  when  a  lad  on 
a  Maryland  farm,  what  fortunes  lay  before  me. 


88  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Who  could  have  prophesied,  when  you  and  I  be- 
gan our  military  career,  that  my  humble  services 
would  ever  be  likened  to  those  of  the  Father  o.f 
our  Country?" 

"You  are  a  better  general  than  ever  George 
Washington  was,"  declared  Burr,  employing  a 
tone  and  look  so  candid  and  emphatic  that  his 
sincerity  was  not  doubted.  "What  he  and 
Hamilton  failed  to  accomplish,  owing  to  the 
action  of  Jefferson  in  purchasing  Louisiana,  and 
so  ending  the  French  quasi  war,  why  may  not  you 
and  I  bring  to  a  successful  issue  ?  If  there  was  no 
irregularity  in  that,  there  can  be  none  in  a  re- 
newal of  essentially  the  same  plans.  Let  the 
Legion  of  the  West  be  organized  once  more,  and 
the  Washington  of  the  West  direct  it  as  he  will." 

Wilkinson  went  to  the  sideboard  and  moistened 
his  lips. 

"There  is  much  that  I  might  tell  you,  colonel, 
concerning  that  proposed  expedition  of  Hamil- 
ton's. Men  are  but  men,  and  the  philanthropist 
weeps  over  their  frailties.  For  myself,  I  am  open 
and  above  board ;  I  abhor  deceit  and  intrigue ;  I 
am  a  man  whose  head  may  err,  but  whose  heart 
cannot  be  misled.  That  all  are  not  so  I  have 
learned  to  my  cost.  You  have  no  idea,  sir,  what 
whisperings,  what  suppression  of  motives,  what 
secret  understandings,  marked  the  proceedings  of 
eminent  persons  whose  public  or  private  interests 
were  involved  in  the  scheme  of  1799." 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      89 

"All  men's  consciences  are  not  so  sensitive  as 
yours,  general,  nor  do  all  men  proceed  so  boldly. 
You  have  courage.  But  there  is  some  excuse  for 
the  secret  methods  which  your  nature  condemns. 
Prudence  is  a  prime  virtue.  There  are  questions 
of  method  and  of  policy,  which  are  best  discussed 
confidentially,  by  sagacious  men." 

"Oh,  yes,  yes,  yes,  of  course." 

"For  instance,  we  two,  Wilkinson,  here  in 
private,  may  properly  compare  opinions  on  such 
subjects  as  this  of  the  Spanish  dispute.  You  and 
I  are  in  substantial  agreement  on  theories  of  gov- 
ernment. I  presume  you  have  no  more  faith  than 
I  have  in  the  permanency  of  the  present  Constitu- 
tion. It  is  on  its  trial,  and  I  am  of  the  opinion  that 
it  cannot  last  long." 

"Colonel  Burr,  you  are  right.  The  Union  is 
held  together  by  a  thread.  Yet  the  salutary  re- 
straints of  religion  and  morality  are  none  the  less 
binding.  The  hallowed  bonds  which  connect  the 
citizens  and  the  State  are  not  made  of  paper. 
There  is  a  stronger  law  than  the  letter  of  the  Con- 
stitution." 

"Law,  as  the  world  goes,"  said  Burr,  "is  what- 
ever is  boldly  asserted  and  plausibly  maintained. 
But  I  wish  to  speak  to  you  of  the  prospect  open- 
ing before  us  in  the  Mississippi  Valley.  Here  are 
you,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Western  troops 
and  governor  of  Upper  Louisiana.  Immense 
power  rests  in  your  hands.  Now,  if  it  be  the  will 


9o          A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

of  the  people  of  Kentucky  and  the  Southern 
States  that  Mexico  should  become  a  part  of  our 
common  country,  or  should  the  sovereign  citizens 
of  this  section  prefer  that  Mexico  shall  become 
part  of  an  independent  republic  or  empire,  formed 
by  uniting  all  the  States  and  Territories  of  the 
Southwest,  including  Mexico — I  say  if  'we,  the 
people,'  demand  this,  and  volunteer  to  devote 
lives  and  fortunes  and  sacred  honor  to  establish 
such  a  new  nationality,  could  not  you,  would  not 
you,  must  you  not,  as  a  patriot,  as  a  friend  of 
liberty,  as  a  servant  of  the  people,  seize  an  op- 
portunity of  making  yourself  greater  than  Wash- 
ington, by  fathering  a  richer,  freer  and  more 
glorious  country  than  that  now  held  together  by  a 
Constitution  which,  as  you  truly  say,  is  no 
stronger  than  a  thread  ?" 

Is  it  possible  that  Burr  when  he  uttered  these 
words  could  have  been  aware  that  he  was  repeat- 
ing arguments  very  similar  to  those  which  Baron 
Carondelet  had  addressed  to  Wilkinson  nine 
years  before,  to  induce  him  to  deliver  Kentucky 
to  his  Catholic  Majesty,  the  King  of  Spain? 
Burr's  proposal  had  so  many  points  of  coincidence 
with  that  made  by  the  Spanish  governor,  that 
Wilkinson  felt  a  momentary  sense  of  being  de- 
tected. There  was  also  a  confusion  of 
impressions  in  his  brain ;  the  very  service  he  had 
tendered  to  Spain,  for  gold  and  for  glory,  was 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      91 

now  solicited  against  Spain  for  glory  and  for 
gold. 

Burr  saw  that  his  words  were  striking  home 
and  resumed  interrogatively : 

"Were  you  not  instrumental  in  the  good  work 
of  separating  Kentucky  from  Virginia?  You 
made  eloquent  speeches,  you  managed  every- 
thing." 

"Yes,  I  pleased  everybody." 

"You  will  please  more  by  abetting  a  grateful 
constituency  in  their  efforts  to  form  a  better 
government  than  the  East  can  pledge  them.  If  it 
was  a  good  thing  to  separate  Kentucky  from  Vir- 
ginia, how  much  better  to  sever  the  Southwest 
from — " 

"This  much  I  will  say,"  interrupted  Wilkinson : 
"I  am  in  favor  of  State  sovereignty  and  the  rights 
of  secession.  I  am  a  consistent  man.  The  prin- 
ciples I  advocated  in  1785  I  still  hold.  My  dear 
colonel,"  he  continued,  coming  up  to  Burr  and 
placing  both  hands  on  his  shoulders,  "I  must  re- 
flect on  all  this ;  you  broach  momentous  matter 
and  you  take  me  by  surprise.  No  doubt  you  have 
considered  the  subject  in  all  its  phases.  I  have 
not.  Tell  me  what  you  have  learned,  so  far,  in 
regard  to  the  drift  of  popular  feeling." 

"I  have  learned  much  and  am  learning  more 
every  day.  I  have  conversed  with  men  of  every 
rank,  in  the  East  and  in  the  South  and  in  the 


92  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

West,  and  I  am  sure  of  the  ground  I  walk  on. 
These  people  of  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  are  ripe 
for  war  with  the  abhorred  Spaniard.  They  have 
a  thousand  grievances.  They  hate  New  England 
and  mistrust  the  Federal  Government.  They  are 
ready  for  any  new  combination  which  can  be 
shown  conducive  to  their  prosperity  locally.  They 
only  wait  a  leader  or  leaders.  The  destiny  of  the 
West  is  manifestly  independence.  WThat  I  in- 
tend is  this :  I  shall  go  to  New  Orleans,  the  very 
heart  of  the  disturbed  region,  and  shall  ascertain 
the  wishes,  temper  and  resources  of  the  people 
upon  whom  we  have  to  depend.  On  my  return 
I  will  report  to  you  the  results  of  my  inquiry  and 
observation,  and  then,  if  you  desire,  we  may  hold 
further  conference." 

"I  must  take  time  to  reflect.  Prudence,  to  re- 
call your  own  words,  is  a  prime  virtue.  I  am  a 
public  servant,  an  officer  of  the  Government,  en- 
trusted with  sacred  obligations.  Your  advice, 
however,  cannot  be  other  than  wise  and  states- 
manlike." 

"General  Wilkinson,  we  are  old  friends — 
comrades  in  arms  once;  now  associates  in  a 
magnificent  enterprise,  if  you  so  will — an  enter- 
prise harmful  to  no  American  citizen,  vastly  bene- 
ficial to  Louisiana,  Mexico,  and  the  West  in  gen- 
eral, and  fraught  with  sure  and  superb  fortunes 
for  the  men  who  have  the  ability,  the  courage  and 
the  fortitude  to  carry  it  to  a  successful  issue." 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      93 

The  general,  again  stepping  to  the  sideboard 
and  filling  two  glasses  from  the  brandy  bottle, 
passed  one  of  them  to  his  guest. 

"This  to  the  memory  of  past  successes  and  the 
hope  of  future  prosperity  for  us  both." 

"I  drink  to  the  hope  more  than  to  the  memory, 
for  the  past  is  an  empty  chest,  the  future  a  full 
coffer,"  said  Burr,  and  drained  his  glass. 

"You  take  your  liquor  like  a  hero!"  joked 
Wilkinson.  "It  will  do  you  good,  colonel." 

The  men  shook  hands  and  Burr  departed,  after 
promising  to  renew  the  conversation  next  day. 
Slowly  he  walked  along  the  river  bank,  saying  to 
himself,  "If  I  could  only  rely  on  him.  He  is  slip- 
pery as  an  eel,  but  a  net  of  golden  promise  will 
hold  him  if  anything  will.  I  fancy  I  have  caught 
James  Wilkinson,  and  if  so.  half  the  battle  is 
won." 

Wilkinson  sat  in  his  big  easy-chair,  pondering. 
"Aaron  Burr  is  a  shrewd  manipulator  of  men. 
Naturally  he  is  looking  out  for  his  own  elevation. 
He  is  a  falling  angel.  But  his  plans  are  good  and 
hold  out  strong  inducements  to  the  course  he  pro- 
poses. If  he  will  undertake  to  fit  out  an  ex- 
pedition and  provide  recruits,  I  see  no  reason  why 
I  should  not  avail  myself  of  the  results  of  his 
energy.  I  am  in  power  already — I  combine  the 
authority  of  general  and  governor — and  I  can- 
not see  how  Burr's  co-operation  can  lessen  my 
dignity  or  prevent  my  aggrandizement.  Pre- 


94  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

caution  is  the  word.  We  shall  see  how  events  de- 
velop. Perhaps  this  scheme  will  open  my  way  to 
attain  the  height  of  my  ambition.  So  long  as  the 
signs  are  propitious  I  will  be  safe  in  trusting 
them;  but  should  disaster  threaten,  I  can  at  any 
time  change  my  policy.  Precaution !  No  pre- 
cipitancy, no  ill-considered  pledges." 

Thus  reflected  General  Wilkinson.  Then,  left 
alone,  he  gradually  yielded  to  the  sedative  effect 
of  dinner  and  drink  and  fell  into  a  drowse.  The 
dusk  of  evening  had  stolen  over  the  river  and 
darkened  the  woods  around  the  fort.  The  sound 
of  footsteps  at  the  door  startled  the  sleeper. 

"Who's  that  ?" 

A  swarthy  boatman  with  a  leathern  coat 
slouched  in. 

"Palafox.    You  back  again  ?" 

"Don't  call  me  Palafox,  general.  I've  changed 
my  name  for  reasons  you  might  guess.  Palafox 
ha'n't  been  a  safe  name  to  carry  since  that  busi- 
ness at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio." 

"You  need  not  worry  yourself  about  that  'busi- 
ness,' as  you  call  it,  of  ten  or  eleven  years  ago.  I 
got  you  out  of  a  bad  scrape ;  your  associates,  who 
were  arrested,  and  tried  were  discharged ;  the  ac- 
cusations are  forgotten.  What  do  you  want, 
Palafox?" 

"I  tell  you  I'm  not  Palafox — I'm  Captain 
Burke  Pierce — that's  the  name  I've  been  going 
by  at  Pittsburg  and  all  along  the  Ohio.  I  left  the 


DIAMOND  CUT  DIAMOND      95 

other  name  in  New  Orleans.  Folks  don't  forget 
names  or  deeds  so  soon  as  I  wish  they  would.  I 
know  the  court  cleared  the  men,  but  they  don't 
forget  the  trick  played  on  them.  Pepillo,  who 
was  the  helmsman  of  the  piroque,  isn't  dead,  and 
he  would  shoot  or  stab  me  on  sight.  Vexeranno 
is  alive  yet,  too,  and  he  is  one  of  the  three  who 
planned  to  do  it." 

"Speak  no  more  of  the  horrible  affair,  my 
friend.  We  were  none  of  us  gainers  by  it.  You 
know  how  much  I  lost.  But  I  saved  you  from 
arrest,  and  you  ought  to  be  grateful.  Why  are 
you  here?" 

"General  Wilkinson,  I  don't  know  whether  I 
am  thankful  or  not.  You  call  me  your  friend,  and 
I  have  been  your  friend.  It  wasn't  so  much  for 
my  sake  that  you  got  me  off  as  to  keep  evidence 
from  leaking  out  that  might  have  made  some- 
body else  uncomfortable.  Yes,  I've  done  things 
for  you  that  you  ought  to  be  grateful  for,  gover- 
nor! Why  am  I  here?  I'm  here  for  back  pay. 
You  owe  me  six  hundred  dollars." 

"Man,  you  are  mad.  You  presume  on  my  gen- 
erosity and  my  past  indulgence  toward  you.  I 
have  already  paid  you  more  than  I  should  have 
done,  and  you  owe  to  me  your  life  and  your 
safety.  You  overestimate  the  value  of  your  past 
services,  and  I  am  tired  of  your  importunity.  Re- 
member that  I  am  the  commander-in-chief  of  the 
army  and  the  governor  of  Louisiana.  Do  you 


96  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

think  it  safe  to  trifle  with  me  ?  How  did  you  get 
by  the  guard  to-night?" 

"Walked;  same  as  I  got  by  Aaron  Burr." 

Wilkinson  looked  up  anxiously. 

"Palafox — I  won't  be  harsh  with  you.  Take 
a  dram.  You  were  faithful  to  me  and  to  your 
duty  in  former  years,  and  I  hope  to  find  profitable 
employment  for  you  again.  Here  are  five  dollars ; 
now  leave  the  premises." 

Palafox  took  the  money  and  disappeared  in  the 
gathering  gloom.  General  Wilkinson  closed  the 
door  and  locked  it.  Then  he  sat  back  in  his  big 
chair,  bowed  his  brow,  and  with  arms  folded  sat 
meditating  the  past.  At  length  he  rose,  shook  his 
head,  as  if  sadly  answering  in  the  negative  some 
question  of  conscience,  and — took  another  glass 
of  brandy. 


IX. 

DON'T   FORGET  THE  BITTERS. 

MONSIEUR  DEVILLE,  having  consulted  Dr.  Go- 
forth,  on  vaccination,  milk-sickness  and  miasma, 
took  the  mail-packet  for  Gallipolis.  Arlington, 
after  transacting  the  business  which  brought  him 
to  Cincinnati,  started  for  his  distant  Virginia 
home,  not  by  water  nor  by  the  direct  route  through 
Kentucky  to  the  Old  Wilderness  Road,  but  across 
southern  Ohio,  over  the  highway  which  led  to 
Marietta.  The  young  man  told  landlord  Yeat- 
man  that  his  object  in  choosing  this  roundabout 
course  was  to  see  the  country;  and  he  told  the 
truth,  but  not  the  whole  truth.  Arlington  cared 
not  so  much  about  going  to  Marietta  as  about 
getting  there.  He  had  not  escaped  the  con- 
sequences of  his  recent  perilous  exposure  to  the 
rays  of  bewitching  eyes.  As  he  rode  along 
through  the  woods  he  saw  flocks  of  paroquets 
fluttering  their  emerald  wings  and  making  love  as 
they  flew.  The  red  birds  were  singing  bridal 
songs  in  the  sugar-trees,  and  the  shy  hermit 
thrush  betrayed  his  domestic  secrets  by  husbandly 
notes  piped  from  the  spice-brush  thicket.  The 
wild  flowers,  too,  anemone,  puccoon  and  ad- 
dertongue,  nodding  in  the  light  breeze,  seemed 
conscious  of  the  joy  of  life  in  spring. 


98  A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

The  pilgrimage  to  the  Muskingum  was  one 
long  meditation  on  Evaleen  Hale.  Arlington  was 
powerless  to  break  the  rosy  mesh  which  entangled 
him.  The  bright  image  of  the  golden-haired 
New  England  girl  waylaid  him  again  and  again. 
He  reached  Marietta  on  a  fine,  bright  morning, 
and  having  consigned  his  horse  to  the  care  of  the 
ostler  of  the  Travellers'  Rest,  he  presently  started 
out  in  search  of  the  dwelling-place  of  Evaleen, 
trusting,  like  Shelley's  Indian  lover,  to  the  Spirit 
in  his  feet. 

It  did  not  take  long  to  make  the  rounds  of  the 
prim,  Puritan  village,  and  though  he  caught  sight 
of  more  than  one  pretty  maid  peeping  with  coy 
curiosity  from  cottage  window  or  garden  plot,  he 
saw  no  face  comparable  with  that  which  he  had 
cherished  in  memory  since  seeing  the  original  in 
Blennerhassett's  parlor.  A  lame  soldier  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  pointed  out  to  him  the 
squares  named  Campus  Martius  and  Capitolium, 
and  directed  him  to  follow  the  Sacra  Via,  through 
a  covert  way,  to  the  wonderful  ancient  earth- 
works hard  by — vast  enclosures,  terraces  and 
tumuli,  resembling  natural  hills,  but,  in  fact,  the 
piled-up  monuments  of  the  Mound  Builders. 
The  greatest  and  most  impressive  of  these 
mysterious  remains,  a  hugh  mound  in  the  form 
of  a  sugar-loaf,  appealed  so  strongly  to  Arling- 
ton's imagination,  that,  contemplating  it,  he  for 
a  time  forgot  everything  else,  losing  himself  in 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS    99 

admiration  and  conjecture.  Intending  a  closer 
inspection  of  the  steep,  artificial  hill,  he  crossed  a 
dry  fosse  which  ran  around  it  in  a  perfect  circle, 
and  was  clambering  up  the  mound  when  a  voice 
from  above  startled  him. 

"Come  up,  come  right  up !  There's  a  good  path 
starts  t'other  side  of  that  wild  gooseberry  bush." 

Looking  aloft,  Arlington  beheld,  seated  on  the 
summit  of  the  mound,  the  grotesque  figure  of 
Plutarch  Byle. 

"It  blows  a  body,  don't  it?"  said  Byle,  recog- 
nizing the  Southerner  with  a  familiar  nod.  "Give 
us  your  hand;  I'll  haul  you  safe  to  the  peak  of 
Aryrat.  I'm  right  glad  to  see  you,  and  I'm  not 
sorry  he  isn't  along  with  you.  Have  you  got  rid 
of  him  for  good?" 

"Do  you  mean  Colonel  Burr  ?" 

"Exactly;  he's  a  sort  of  burr  I  hope  to  God 
will  never  stick  to  me  or  to  any  friend  of  mine. 
I  like  you,  Burlington,  and  I  congratulate  you,  as 
the  saying  is,  that  you  pulled  him  off.  Folks 
oughtn't  to  be  too  familiar  with  strangers,  ought 
they?  You  or  I  might  be  taken  in  by  appear- 
ances. I  confess  I  was  deceived  in — I  won't  say 
that  man,  but  that  hoop-snake.  He  was  as  fine 
looking  a  man  as  I  am.  But  let's  not  mention 
him.  Which  way  do  you  hail  from  now  ?  When 
did  you  strike  Marietta  ?" 

"To-day,  Mr.  Byle." 

"Call   me   Plutarch.     I    don't   like    European 


ioo         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

forms.  How  long  do  you  calculate  to  stay,  Bur- 
lingham  ?" 

"Not  long.  I  am  on  my  return  to  Virginia, 
and  stop  in  Marietta  to  see  these  earthworks. 
You  are  acquainted  here.  Do  you  know — do  you 
know  of  a  family  by  the  name  of  Hale?" 

"Well,  yes;  that  is,  I  know  old  Squire  George 
Hale  by  sight,  and  I  met  his  daughter  once  in  a 
sort  of  social  way  like,  at  Mrs.  Blennerhassett's. 
The  Hales  is  a  fine  family,  regular  high  posts  with 
a  silk  tester;  they're  upper-crust  Boston  quality. 
George  hasn't  lived  here  long,  only  about  a  year, 
and  I've  been  away  up  on  Yok  River,  at  brother 
Virgil's,  most  of  the  time  for  the  last  five  year. 
The  Hales  are  blue  blood,  and  no  mistake.  The 
young  woman  is  a  seek-no-farther.  She  is  about 
to  marry  a  feller  from  Massachusetts,  who  is  here 
now  a-sparking  like  fox-fire.  I  don't  know  the 
particulars,  but  I  put  this  and  that  together,  and 
I'm  satisfied  it's  a  match,  and  though  I'm  always 
danged  sorry  for  any  girl  who  gets  married,  I 
reckon  this  feller  is  about  as  decent  as  any  of  us. 
His  names  is  Danvers — Captain  Danvers ;  a  right 
peert  young  chap,  in  the  reg'lar  army.  I  saw 
them  yesterday,  Evaleen  and  him — her  name's 
Evaleen — walking,  spooney-like,  down  by  Musk- 
ingum,  and  I  says  to  myself,  'By  the  holy  arti- 
chokes, I'd  like  to  be  in  the  captain's  military 
boots.' " 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS     101 

"Are  you  sure  they  are  engaged?"  queried 
Arlington. 

"Yes,  sure  as  coffin-nails;  why?  Do  you  know 
the  Spring  Beauty?" 

"I  have  met  her." 

"I'll  bet  you  took  a  fancy  to  her  the  minute 
you  sot  eyes  on  her.  So  did  I ;  but  I  nipped  it  in 
the  bud.  You  look  as  if  you  might  be  hugely  in 
love,  Burlington.  I  know  adzactly  how  you  feel. 
Everything  is  prodigious  out  here  in  the  West — 
big  trees,  big  fish,  big  mammoth  bones,  and  big 
hearts.  I'll  swan !  the  kind  of  love  that  you  are 
liable  to  in  these  tremendous  woods  is  like  the 
rest  of  the  works  of  Nature,  immense.  How- 
somever,  a  man  can  stand  a  terrible  sight  of  love 
and  get  over  it.  I  know  what  I'm  talking  about. 
Love's  a  queer  complaint!  By  ginger,  I  realize 
from  experience  how  it  takes  hold  of  the  system. 
You  mightn't  guess  it,  but  I  pulled  through  the 
toughest  case  of  woman-stroke  that  ever  a  young 
feller  was  took  with. 

'Cheeks  of  my  youth, 
Bathed  in  tears  have  you  been.' 

It's  facts  I'm  stating.  Still,  a  good  constitution 
does  mend  fast  when  the  flightiness  and  distress 
in  the  imagination  leaves  him  and  he  cools  down 
to  his  right  mind.  And  there's  medicine  for  every 
ailment,  balm  in  Gilead,  by  gum,  even  for  love 


102         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sickness.  The  seed-pods  of  the  cucumber  tree 
soaked  in  raw  whiskey  makes  a  first-rate  bitters 
for  all  such  like  fevers.  I'm  sorry  for  you,  but — 
hold  up,  what  did  I  tell  you  ?  Look  yonder !  Do 
you  see  that  couple  walking  this  way  from 
Campus  Martius?  That's  them!" 

Looking  in  the  direction  indicated  by  Plu- 
tarch's long  forefinger,  Arlington  saw  a  man  and 
a  woman,  side  by  side,  slowly  approaching  the 
mound,  so  absorbed  in  each  other's  companion- 
ship that  they  seemed  oblivious  to  the  landscape 
and  the  sky.  Neither  glanced  upward,  though 
they  came  so  near  the  base  of  the  hill  that  the 
envious  spy  on  the  summit,  peering  down, 
identified  the  person  and  the  voice  of  the  lady  as 
belonging  unmistakably  to  Miss  Hale.  The  pair 
paused  under  a  dog-wood  from  which  Captain 
Danvers  plucked  a  flowery  bough ;  then  they  re- 
sumed their  stroll,  walking  toward  the  village, 
arm  in  arm. 

"Shall  I  holler  to  them?"  asked  Byle  with  the 
friendliest  intentions. 

"By  no  means!"  said  Arlington  hastily.  "I 
have  not  the  slightest  interest  in  either  of  them. 
What  have  you  here  in  your  basket — botanical 
specimens  ?" 

The  inquiry  set  Plutarch's  tongue  running  on 
his  favorite  theme. 

"I'm  a  sort  of  self-made  doctor,  Mr.  

won't  you  please  write  your  name  out  just  as  you 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS    103 

spell  it  yourself,  and  let  me  have  it  ?  I  ain't  sure 
of  the  accent.  I've  been  digging  roots  and  so  on, 
for  brother  Blennerhassett.  He's  an  odd  fish — 
he  fancies  he  knows  yarbs.  Well,  now,  he  does; 
that  is,  he  can  learn  and  is  learning  faster  than 
you  would  believe  a  near-sighted  United  Irish- 
man could  learn  anything  outside  of  books.  He 
knows  ginseng  from  pleuresy-root,  anyhow.  This 
plant — I'm  taking  the  whole  thing,  root  and  stem, 
to  show  him  how  it  grows — is  the  genuine  Indian 
physic;  I  got  it  right  by  a  big  rotten  log  in 
Putnam's  woods.  What  do  you  say  to  taking  a 
tour  to  Blennerhassett's  with  me  in  my  piroque? 
I've  got  as  snug  a  piroque  as  ever  oversot." 

There  was  no  reason  why  Arlington  should  not 
seize  this  offered  opportunity  of  once  more  visit- 
ing the  island,  and  pay  his  respects  to  the  pro- 
prietor, whom  he  had  some  curiosity  to  meet. 
Besides,  might  he  not  chance  to  learn  the  true 
condition  of  affairs  regarding  Evaleen  Hale  and 
the  objectionable  captain? 

Rocking  on  lazy  eddies  of  a  sheltered  cove  lay 
the  piroque.  It  was  a  dug-out  or  canoe,  made 
by  hollowing  with  axe  and  adz  a  section  of  a 
cucumber-tree.  One-fourth  of  its  length  was 
covered  with  canvas  stretched  on  hoops,  forming 
a  canopy  to  shed  rain  and  to  screen  the  passenger 
from  the  sun's  rays.  The  cosy  shelter  was  made 
use  of  by  Plutarch  as  a  receptacle  for  "specimens" 
of  all  varieties,  animal,  vegetable  and  mineral. 


104         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

The  boat  was  propelled  by  a  paddle,  and,  as  the 
owner  had  warned  Arlington,  was  liable  to  be 
toppled  over  by  any  heedless  movement  of  its  oc- 
cupants. In  this  craft,  the  distance  from  Marietta 
to  the  island  was  measured  without  accident. 
Landed  on  the  gravelly  beach,  Plutarch  bent  his 
steps  toward  the  dazzling  white  house,  Arlington 
at  his  side.  Peter  Taylor,  puttering  in  the  front 
yard,  greeted  the  visitors  in  his  saturnine  style. 

"Which  way  is  the  Highcockolorum  ?"  in- 
quired Plutarch,  thrusting  out  his  hand. 

The  gardener  was  perplexed. 

"I  mean  your  boss.  Ah,  there  he  is,  with  a 
gun!  What's  the  fraction  now?  When  I  first 
came  to  this  place  his  little  boy  offered  to  stick  a 
tin  sword  through  me,  and  I  wonder  now  if  pap 
means  to  shoot  me!" 

"  'E  couldn't  'it  you  at  ten  paces,"  grumbled 
the  Englishman,  manifesting  grim  enjoyment. 
Byle  winked  in  response.  Blennerhassett,  lead- 
ing Dominick  by  the  hand,  came  to  meet  them, 
and  Arlington  was  courteously  received. 

"I  regret  my  absence  at  the  time  you  did  us 
the  honor  to  call.  I  have  since  had  a  delightful 
letter  from  Colonel  Burr,  who  promises  to  favor 
us  again.  Mrs.  Blennerhassett  told  me  every 
particular  of  your  brief  sojourn  here.  She  was 
charmed  with  her  guests.  I  am  sorry  she  hap- 
pens to  be  from  home.  She  has  gone  to  spend  the 
day  with  friends  in  Marietta." 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS     105 

"That's  where  she  was,  by  gum,  the  first  time  I 
called  here,"  broke  in  Byle,  whose  unconscious 
temerity  Blennerhassett,  not  being  able  to  rebuke, 
had  concluded  to  tolerate.  "I  have  fetched  you  a 
lot  more  plants  and  roots,  and  the  spines  of  that 
big  cat-fish  I  told  you  about.  Here's  another 
curiosity — the  wing  of  a  queer  bird  that  I  don't 
know — maybe  you  will — I  shot  the  fowl  flying. 
I  see  you  own  a  rifle !" 

"Yes,"  answered  the  recluse,  placing  the  piece 
in  Plutarch's  hands.  "You  are  familiar  with 
American  guns.  What  is  your  opinion  of  this 
one  ?  It  was  recommended  to  me  as  an  excellent 
article,  and  I  bought  it  at  an  enormous  price,  so 
my  neighbors  tell  me.  But  from  my  indifferent 
success  in  bringing  down  game  with  it,  I  am 
forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  barrel  must  be 
defective.  Peter  thinks  not,  but  he  is  more  of  an 
adept  in  horticulture  than  in  shooting." 

The  gardener  was  miffed  by  this  left-handed 
compliment,  but  he  did  not  venture  to  resent  the 
impeachment.  Plutarch  handled  the  gun  with  the 
confident  facility  of  an  expert,  poised  it  to  ascer- 
tain the  weight,  noticed  the  calibre  and  the 
maker's  name,  admired  the  beauty  of  the  stock, 
and  tested  the  action  of  the  trigger,  lightly  lifting 
the  maple  breech  to  his  shoulder.  The  spectators 
marvelled  at  the  delicate  touch  of  his  seemingly 
coarse  fingers. 

"This  is  a  good  rifle,"  said  he.     "Do  you  see 


io6         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

that  red  head  on  the  top  of  that  tree  t'other  side  of 
the  house?"  No  one  did  perceive  the  bird  which 
the  hunter  professed  to  discover  on  the  top  of  a 
tall  sycamore  distinctly  visible  at  a  distance  of 
many  rods  beyond  the  roof.  Byle  drew  up  the 
rifle  and  fired. 

"Run,  bub,  and  pick  him  up,"  said  Plutarch, 
dropping  the  butt  of  the  rifle  and  resting  it  care- 
lessly on  the  toe  of  his  shoe.  Dominick  hesitated, 
but  the  black  man,  Scipio,  who  had  drawn  near  to 
witness  the  shooting,  trudged  away  to  the  foot  of 
the  tree,  where  he  found  a  dead  woodpecker  lying 
on  the  ground.  He  picked  up  the  bird,  still  warm 
and  bleeding,  and  brought  it  to  Blennerhassett, 
who  expressed  enthusiastic  admiration  for  the 
marksman's  skill.  Plutarch  received  the  praise 
without  showing  the  pleased  vanity  he  inwardly 
felt,  and  having  reloaded  the  gun  with  neat 
celerity,  he  passed  it  to  the  owner,  saying  in  his 
unceremonious  way,  "Now,  boss,  it's  your  turn." 

Blennerhassett  at  first  declined  to  make  an  ex- 
hibition of  his  skill,  but  on  persuasion  consented 
to  fire  at  a  mark  under  the  direction  of  his  faithful 
servant,  Peter  Taylor,  who  was  accustomed  to  at- 
tend him  on  hunting  excursions.  Mr.  Byle,  with 
accommodating  alacrity,  offered  his  hat  as  a 
suitable  target,  having  stuck  a  maple  leaf  on  the 
centre  of  the  crown  to  answer  as  the  bull's  eye. 
The  party  shifted  ground  to  the  rear  premises, 
and  the  hat  was  fixed  to  the  side  of  the  barn. 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS    107 

Blennerhassett  took  his  place  directly  in  front  of 
the  mark,  at  a  distance  from  it  of  twenty  steps  de- 
liberately paced  off  by  Plutarch.  When  their 
chief  cocked  the  rifle  there  was  a  general  com- 
motion among  the  servants,  black  and  white,  for 
by  this  time  the  whole  retinue  of  the  establish- 
ment, including  ostler,  footman,  butler,  field 
hands  and  housemaids,  had  collected  to  see  the 
sport.  The  principal  actor,  being  self-absorbed 
as  well  as  near-sighted,  was  scarcely  aware  of  the 
tittering  assemblage.  Abstracted  from  every 
other  thought,  he  fixed  his  attention  on  the  great 
business  in  hand,  not  without  misgiving  and 
nervous  agitation.  When  he  lifted  the  rifle  to  his 
shoulder,  and,  trembling  with  excitement,  pointed 
it  in  the  manner  he  conceived  to  be  proper,  Peter 
Taylor,  stationed  at  his  master's  back  as  prompter 
and  artillerist,  gave  directions:  "Now,  sir,  cool 
and  steady!  'Old  her  level!  Not  so  'igh,  Mr. 
Blennerhassett.  There!  So!  'Old  on!  'Old 
on !  A  leetle  more  up !  Ready !  Fire !" 

In  agitation,  the  gentleman  drew  the  trigger, 
and  the  next  instant  a  pane  of  window-glass,  fully 
six  feet  from  the  outmost  rim  of  Mr.  Byle's  straw 
hat,  was  shivered  to  pieces,  and  the  fragments 
were  heard  to  tinkle  as  they  fell  within  the  barn. 
The  chagrin  of  the  mortified  rifleman  was  cun- 
ningly abated  by  Peter's  declaring  that  he  himself 
was  at  fault  in  confining  his  master's  attention 
to  vertical  rather  than  to  horizontal  considera- 


108         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

tions;  but  while  he  thus  explained  away  the 
failure,  he  winked  at  the  other  servants  and 
whispered  aside  to  Plutarch  that,  though  hor- 
ticulture was  his  profession,  he  was  a  better  shot 
than  his  distinguished  employer. 

"That's  claiming  a  good  deal,  isn't  it?"  replied 
Byle,  following  with  his  eye  the  humiliated  sub- 
ject of  their  comment,  who,  conscious  that  he  had 
made  himself  ridiculous,  withdrew  from  the  scene 
and  tried  to  recover  lost  dignity  by  retiring  with 
his  guest  to  the  privacy  of  his  library.  There, 
rallying  his  spirits,  he  dilated  upon  law,  science 
and  belles-lettres,  oblivious  of  the  fact  that  his 
commonplace  remarks  were  tedious  to  a  lively 
mind.  He  was  opinionated,  though  not  egotisti- 
cal ;  revered  authority,  took  himself  seriously,  and 
was  a  hero  worshipper  lacking  humor  and 
imagination.  Pedantically  conscious  of  impart- 
ing his  stored  wisdom  to  the  attentive  listener, 
whom  he  desired  to  entertain,  he  glowed  with  in- 
genuous enthusiasm  while  he  commented,  in 
mildly  magisterial  fashion,  on  books  and 
authors.  He  read  aloud  extracts  from  "Shafts- 
bury's  Characteristics,"  nodding  approval  of  the 
dullest  sentences.  Then  he  opened  a  large  new 
folio,  illustrated  with  allegorical  plates  and  pro- 
fusely annotated. 

"This  is  my  latest  literary  treasure,  Erasmus 
Darwin's  wonderful  poem,  'The  Temple  of 
Nature,'  recently  published,  and  superior,  I  think, 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS    109 

to  the  'Botanic  Garden.'  Let  me  read  from  the 
first  canto,  on  the  Production  of  Life." 

Arlington  in  "wise  passivity"  submitted  to  the 
infliction,  and  with  feigned  pleasure  followed  the 
torturer's  voice,  delivering  page  after  page  of 
solemn  science  in  polished  heroic  couplets.  At 
length,  in  a  lull  between  the  lines  on  Imitation  and 
those  on  Appetency,  the  young  man  mustered 
courage  to  broach  the  subject  nearest  his  heart, 
by  asking  the  irrelevant  question,  "You  are  ac- 
quainted, I  dare  say,  with  the  prominent  families 
of  Marietta ;  do  you  happen  to  know  a  gentleman 
by  the  name  of  Hale  ?  George  Hale  ?" 

Blennerhassett,  keeping  one  eye  on  the  Temple 
of  Nature,  answered  mechanically : 

"Yes ;  George  Hale  is  one  of  our  best  citizens. 
He  is  held  in  high  esteem,  a  man  of  some  wealth 
and  of  great  probity,  but  not  college  bred.  I  am 
sure,  Mr.  Arlington,  you  will  discern  high 
poetical  qualities  in  this  passage  from  the  second 
canto,  entitled  Reproduction  of  Life.  Shall  I 
read  it  aloud?" 

"By  all  means,  sir.  I  should  be  delighted  to 
hear  you  read  the  entire  volume,  but  I  regret  that 
I  have  engagements  up  the  river." 

"I  will  detain  you  only  a  moment,  Mr.  Arling- 
ton: Perhaps  you  would  like  to  carry  the  book 
with  you  to  read  on  your  way  back.  This  is  the 
passage  I  referred  to : 


no         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

'Now,  young  Desires,  on  purple  pinions  borne, 
Mount  the  warm  gale  of  Manhood's  rising  morn; 
With  softer  fires  through  Virgin  bosoms  dart, 
Flush  the  pale  cheek,  and  goad  the  tender  heart!' 

Those  are  well-constructed  verses,  my  dear  sir — 
equal  to  Dryden.  'On  purple  pinions  borne,' 
sounds  well.  The  alliteration  is  pleasing.  Note 
the  effect,  also,  in  the  phrase  'Manhood's  morn/ 
and  the  last  line  is  poetical, 

'Flush  the  pale  cheek,  and  goad  the  tender  heart.' 

Or  this,  suggesting  how  love  and  sympathy  causes 
affinities  which— 

'Melt  into  Lymph  or  kindle  into  gas.' 

There  are  those  who  contend  that  scientific  truths 
cannot  be  stated  poetically;  but  here,  I  am  sure, 
science  and  sentiment  are  at  one.  Am  I  not 
right?" 

"Doubtless  your  judgment  is  correct,"  assented 
Chester,  uncertain  whether  Blennerhassett  was 
speaking  in  earnest  or  in  irony.  "I  confess  I  am 
not  a  literary  student.  Pardon  the  interruption 
and  my  inquisitiveness,  but  am  I  correctly  in- 
formed that  the  young  lady  to  whom  I  was  in- 
troduced, a  few  weeks  ago,  when  I  called  here,  is 
related  to  Mr.  Hale  of  whom  we  were  speaking?" 

"Quite  right;  she  is  his  daughter,  Miss  Eva- 
leen,  an  amiable  girl.  Margaret  and  the  boys 
think  the  world  of  her." 

Arlington  made  another  effort  to  satisfy  his 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS     in 

jealous  curiosity.  "I  was  told  by  a  gentleman  in 
Marietta  that  Miss  Hale  is  about  to  be  married. 
Am  I  correctly  informed?  The  lucky  man  is  to 
be  envied." 

Blennerhassett,  whose  eyes  were  still  picking 
poetic  gems  from  Darwin,  answered  vaguely. 

"Oh,  to  be  sure.  A  fortunate  man.  She  will 
make  an  excellent  wife.  Did  you  hear  such  a  re- 
port? Not  surprising;  I  remember  now  that 
Margaret  mentioned  something  of  Evaleen's 
prospects  in  that  way — to  the  effect,  I  believe, 
that  she,  that  is,  Miss  Hale,  had  received  gallant 
attentions  from  an  eligible  young  man — a  suitor. 
Women  take  more  interest  than  we  men  do  in 
affairs  of  this  nature.  I  can  give  no  particulars." 

"This  Captain  Danvers— ?"  faltered  Chester. 

"Danvers?  Danvers?"  repeated  the  absent- 
minded  philosopher  amiably.  "Ah,  yes.  Captain 
Danvers  is  at  present  stopping  at  the  Hale  resi- 
dence. My  wife  tells  me  that  Evaleen  and  he  are 
exceedingly  devoted  to  each  other.  Naturally. 
You  would  be  welcome,  I  assure  you,  if  you 
should  call.  They  are  very  hospitable." 

Without  further  inquiries,  Arlington  pres- 
ently took  leave  to  join  Byle,  with  whom  he 
voyaged  back  to  Marietta.  Wrapped  in  meditation 
he  sat,  taciturn,  ballasting  the  unstable  piroque 
which  his  stalwart  comrade  propelled  with  as- 
tonishing speed  against  the  current.  Chester 
spoke  not  a  dozen  sentences  during  the  tedious 


ii2         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

passage  from  the  island  to  the  village.  Byle, 
strange  to  say,  also  held  his  tongue,  but  he  watched 
his  melancholy  companion  with  varying  facial 
expressions,  eloquent  of  fellow-feeling.  The 
piroque  was  brought  to  shore  on  the  east  bank  of 
the  Muskingum,  a  short  distance  above  the  mouth 
of  the  river. 

"You  can  tell  your  grandchildren  that  you  sot 
your  foot  just  where  Rufus  Putnam  did  when  he 
jumped  off  the  Mayflower  in  1788.  This  is  the 
spot  where  the  first  settlers  of  Ohio  landed." 

"You  make  me  feel  quite  like  a  historical  char- 
acter," said  Arlington,  and  thanked  his  obliging 
guide. 

"I  don't  reckon  history  is  all  over  yet,  Arling- 
ton. Good-night,  and  take  keer  of  yourself.  I'm 
goshamighty  sorry  your  goose  is  cooked  in  re- 
gards to  Evaleen.  Still,  this  Danvers  is  a  perfect 
gentleman — you'd  say  so  yourself  if  you  knowed 
him  as  she  does.  By  dad,  we  can't  all  have  the 
same  girl,  or  others  would  suffer.  Don't  forget 
the  bitters.  Speaking  of  bitters  and  how  to  cure 
trouble  in  this  vale  of  tears,  as  the  saying  is,  I 
reckon  you  have  heard  of  a  man  by  the  name  of 
Jonathan  Edwards  ?  He's  dead  now,  but  he  made 
his  living  by  preaching,  and  he  wrote  books.  The 
only  one  of  his  works  that  I  ever  read  was  his 
Rules,  and  they  are  elegant.  One  of  Jonathan's 
rules  I  learned  by  heart :  "When  you  feel  pain, 
think  of  the  pains  of  martyrdom  and  of  hell." 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS     113 

You  might  try  that.  But  whatever  you  try,  don't 
forget  the  bitters — fruit  of  the  cucumber-tree  in 
raw  whiskey." 

"Don't  forget  the  bitters."  These  words  kept 
repeating  themselves  in  Chester's  mind  long  after 
he  had  gone  to  bed  in  the  small  room  assigned  to 
him  by  the  host  of  the  Travellers'  Rest.  He  slept 
wretchedly,  rose  late  the  next  morning,  break- 
fasted, and  after  ordering  his  horse  to  be  saddled 
at  nine  o'clock,  walked  to  the  wharf  where  lay  the 
mail-boat  ready  to  start  down  the  Ohio.  Among 
the  few  taking  passage  on  the  vessel  was  Captain 
Danvers,  who  had  been  ordered  to  report  for 
service  in  St.  Louis,  and  was  on  his  way  thither. 
Arlington  observed  the  fine-looking  young  officer 
with  the  petulant  dislike  of  foiled  envy.  So  spite- 
ful was  his  mood  that  he  wished  a  pretext  for 
saying  or  doing  something  offensive  to  his  hand- 
some rival.  Such  a  pretext  was  afforded.  A 
veteran  major  who  had  accompanied  Danvers  to 
the  boat,  to  bid  him  good-bye,  called  out : 

"Captain,  don't  let  the  Indians  scalp  you  or  the 
Spaniards  take  you  prisoner.  If  you  had  been 
three  weeks  sooner  you  might  have  had  Aaron 
Burr  for  a  fellow-traveller.  He  stopped  here  on 
his  way  down  the  river." 

"I  would  not  travel  on  the  same  boat  with 
Aaron  Burr.  I  consider  him  guilty  of  murder." 

Arlington's  wrath  broke  forth.  "Any  man  who 
says  that  speaks  calumny." 


U4        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Do  you  mean  to  insult  me,  sir?  I  never  saw 
you  before,  and  did  not  address  you." 

"I  do  not  stand  on  ceremony  with  those  who 
traduce  my  friends/'  retorted  the  Southerner 
sneeringly.  "Colonel  Burr  is  my  friend — you 
have  maligned  him." 

Danvers  contemptuously  replied :  "You  seem 
proud  of  your  alleged  intimacy  with  a  notorious 
criminal.  Perhaps  you  are  the  Vice-President's 
brother,  or  are  you  his  man-servant?" 

The  taunt  raised  a  laugh  at  Arlington,  who 
roared  out : 

"Burr  did  right  in  calling  Hamilton  to  the  field ; 
he  vindicated  his  own  honor." 

"Push  off!  Loosen  that  line!"  shouted  the 
captain  from  the  deck.  "Hurry  up!  blast  you! 
we're  a  year  behind  time !" 

The  boat-hands  made  a  show  of  haste  without 
making  speed,  reluctant  to  miss  the  chance  of 
witnessing  a  fight. 

"Captain  Danvers,  perhaps,  like  other  Yankees, 
you  preach  against  duelling,  but  do  not  scruple  to 
traduce  men  who  are  not  present  to  resent  your 
words." 

"You  know  my  name!"  cried  Danvers,  "but 
are  wrong  in  supposing  that  I  will  stand  an  af- 
front. If  you  are  a  gentleman — " 

"If?  Couldn't  you  waive  ifs  and  buts  long 
enough  to  try  the  Weehauken  experiment  and 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS     115 

then  investigate  my  pedigree?  The  question  is, 
are  you  a  man  or  a  dastard?" 

"Swaller  your  fire,  young  salamander,"  broke 
in  the  captain  of  the  boat.  "We  hain't  got  no  time 
to  fuss  nor  fight  duels.  Push  off,  there,  boys! 
Get  your  poles  in  hand  and  give  her  a  reverend 
set !  If  the  feller  on  shore  is  hankering  for  gore 
let  him  swim  after  us.  Let  go  that  cordelle,  you 
cussed,  lazy,  flat-bellied,  Hockhocking  idiot! 
Can't  you  learn  that  a  vessel  won't  navigate  while 
she's  tied  to  a  tree  and  stuck  fast  in  the  mud?" 

Soon  in  mid-stream,  the  boat  moved  away 
rapidly,  impelled  by  the  triple  force  of  current, 
wind  and  oars,  and  the  Virginian  was  jeered  at 
from  deck  and  shore.  It  completed  his  mortifi- 
cation to  observe  Danvers  waving  him  a  disdain- 
ful farewell.  He  returned  to  the  tavern,  paid  his 
reckoning,  mounted  his  horse,  and  rode  away  de- 
jected and  miserable.  Self-disgust  wrought  in 
him  a  revulsion  against  Ohio,  Marietta  and  the 
Blennerhassetts,  and  caused  him,  for  the  moment, 
to  wish  he  had  never  met  Evaleen.  He  rode 
along  the  village  street,  his  mind's  ear  ringing 
with  Byle's  parting  advice:  "Don't  forget  the 
bitters."  While  his  horse  was  trotting  past  a 
house  that  stood  back  from  the  street,  in  the  midst 
of  shrubbery,  he  thought  he  heard  his  own  name 
spoken.  On  turning  his  head,  he  saw  two  ladies 
observing  him  from  a  leaf-screened  veranda.  His 


n6        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

impulse  was  to  halt ;  he  drew  bridle,  but,  recalling 
the  scene  on  the  wharf,  he  spurred  on. 

"My  dear  girl,"  exclaimed  the  elder  of  the  two 
ladies,  watching  the  unheeding  horseman,  "that 
gentleman  is  Mr.  Arlington  or  Mr.  Arlington's 
twin  brother." 

Evaleen's  lips  trembled  as  she  replied  hesitat- 
ingly, "It  cannot  be  he;  he  would  have  called. 
He  knows  we  live  in  Marietta." 

"I  am  sure  it  is  Mr.  Arlington,  and  I  cannot 
account  for  his  failing  to  pay  you  his  respects. 
He  showed  a  decided  interest  in  you  that  day  on 
the  island.  To  my  eye  it  looked  very  like  love  at 
first  sight ;  and  I  cannot  help  believing  that  his 
sole  errand  in  Marietta  is  to  see  you  again." 

Evaleen,  reddening,  plucked  leaflets  from  the 
honeysuckle  which  covered  the  porch. 

"What  am  I  to  Mr.  Arlington?" 

"Perhaps  more  than  he  is  to  you.  I  wish  he 
could  have  met  Captain  Danvers." 

Evaleen's  blush  faded. 

"I  may  never  see  Warren  again,"  she  sighed; 
"he  is  reckless  and  will  not  shun  Spanish  bullets 
or  yellow  fever.  I  can't  bear  to  think  of  what  he 
must  endure  in  the  army." 

"Be  proud  that  he  has  gone  to  the  war  as  a 
brave  man  should.  I  admire  men  who  are  fear- 
less." 

"Oh,  Margaret,  you  don't  know  how  dear  he  is 
to  me!" 


DON'T  FORGET  THE  BITTERS     117 

"My  darling,  I  understand.  But  Natchez  is 
not  out  of  the  world,  even  if  the  soldiers  should 
be  sent  there.  After  all,  there  may  be  no  fight- 
ing. But  I  can't  solve  the  mystery  of  our  Vir- 
ginia friend's  ungallant  conduct." 

Midday  came  and  went,  the  afternoon  wasted 
away,  the  sun  set,  but  the  disappointing  cavalier 
came  not  back  to  the  village.  Madam  Blenner- 
hassett  said  no  more  about  him,  though  she 
noticed  that  at  intervals  Evaleen  furtively  glanced 
through  an  open  window  eastward  down  the  long 
perspective  of  the  shaded  road. 


X. 

"NOW  TO  MY  CHARMS  AND  TO  MY  WILY  TRAINS/' 

BURR  tarried  at  Massac,  spinning  subtle  webs 
to  entangle  human  flies.  He  "lived  along  the 
line"  of  correspondence,  keeping  in  touch  with 
former  associates  and  recent  acquaintances.  In 
his  ark,  seated  at  a  rough  table,  he  wrote  to  those 
he  hoped  to  gain  or  feared  to  lose.  He  did  not 
neglect  the  Blennerhassetts,  nor  Arlington,  nor 
the  confiding  young  law-students  of  Pittsburg. 
A  lengthy  letter  was  penned  to  the  Hon.  John 
Smith,  and,  at  the  same  sitting,  a  model  billet- 
doux  to  Mrs.  Rosemary.  Other  business  was 
combined  with  this  epistolary  industry,  for,  even 
before  the  stamp  of  the  writer's  seal  was  lifted 
from  the  soft,  red  wafer  on  the  widow's  letter,  a 
backwoods  settler  came,  by  appointment,  to  close 
a  bargain  by  which  the  flatboat  "Salome"  was 
sold. 

The  somewhat  damaged  vessel  was  knocked  to 
pieces  by  its  new  owner,  who  used  the  timber  to 
construct  a  shanty,  a  stable,  and  a  pig-pen,  for 
his  family  and  other  live-stock.  Before  this  de- 
grading transmutation  was  begun,  the  original 
proprietor  of  the  now  abandoned  craft  removed 
to  the  commodious  cabin  of  an  elegant  barge, 


"NOW  TO  MY  CHARMS"      119 

provided  by  the  courtesy  of  Wilkinson.  In  this 
convenient  vessel,  navigated  by  a  select  crew 
under  command  of  a  faithful  sergeant,  the 
sole  passenger  embarked  for  New  Orleans.  In 
frequent  conference  with  Wilkinson  he  had  am- 
plified and  enforced  the  arguments  broached  at 
the  first  interview.  On  the  day  set  for  the  states- 
man's departure,  the  two  men  spoke  together, 
very  confidentially. 

"Good-bye,  Aaron ;  I  augur  well  of  your  under- 
taking. The  auspices  are  favorable.  We  are  en- 
gaged in  a  scheme  full  of  danger,  requiring  enter- 
prise; but,  if  successful,  fraught  with  fortune  and 
glory." 

"Genera.,  we  are  engaged,  not  in  a  scheme,  but 
in  a  sublime  exploit.  We  are  to  create  an  ideal 
commonwealth.  The  materials  are  ready.  I  go 
to  take  seizin  of  the  grandest  dominion  on  the 
curve  of  the  globe.  Military  force  will  be  re- 
quisite to  sustain  civil  polity.  The  names  Burr 
and  Wilkinson  are  linked  together  in  the  chain  of 
destiny.  Farewell,  and  God  bless  you.  When  I 
return,  I  will  hasten  to  join  you  at  St.  Louis,  and 
give  a  full  report  of  my  stewardship." 

With  rhetoric  like  this,  the  parting  guest  closed 
his  valedictory.  His  barge  was  soon  under  way. 
Down  the  calm  Ohio,  down  the  solemn  Missis- 
sippi fared  Aaron  Burr,  bound  for  the  prodigal 
South.  Swept  along  by  the  urgent  stream,  his 
boat  seemed  the  plaything  of  fate,  and  the  un- 


120        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

stable  element  upon  which  it  rode  and  rocked  and 
trembled,  he  likened  to  human  life,  fleeting,  tur- 
bulent, treacherous,  yet  grandly  beautiful.  Yield- 
ing to  that  mood  in  which  the  judgment  and  the 
will  are  suspended,  and  the  passive  brain  is  played 
upon  by  every  sight  and  sound,  he  sat  in  an  easy 
chair  smoking,  lost  in  sensuous  languor,  like  an 
Asian  prince.  He  was,  for  the  time,  possessed 
by  the  sensation  of  being  royal.  He  enjoyed  by 
anticipation  the  prerogatives  of  sovereignty,  the 
power,  the  luxury,  the  voluptuous  pleasure.  The 
objects  of  his  ambition  appeared  then  how  easy  of 
attainment!  To  accomplish  seemed  no  more  dif- 
ficult than  to  desire.  The  stream  was  running  his 
way,  and  the  wind  was  blowing  his  way.  As 
surely  as  the  Mississippi  goes  to  the  Mexican 
Gulf,  would  destiny  waft  Burr  to  the  ocean  of  his 
desire.  Imaginations  so  extravagant,  courted  in 
solitude  and  fed  by  indolence,  served  to  beguile 
the  days  of  the  long  voyage  from  Fort  Massac 
to  New  Orleans. 

At  last  the  barge  rounded  into  port,  late  in  the 
afternoon  of  a  perfect  summer  day.  Aaron  the 
First,  standing  upon  deck,  was  coming  unto  his 
own ;  or  rather,  the  city  came  floating  out  to  meet 
her  king.  The  bending  shore  which  gives  the 
name  Crescent  City  to  the  emporium  of  the 
South,  was  lined  with  ships  from  every  sea,  and 
with  innumerable  river  craft.  New  Orleans  was 
one  of  the  richest  marts  on  the  hemisphere.  Burr 


"NOW  TO  MY  CHARMS"      121 

stepped  ashore  and  quickly  ascended  the  levee. 
Hundreds  of  pleasure-seekers  swarmed  the  foot- 
paths or  rested  on  the  benches  under  the  rows  of 
orange  trees  which  shaded  the  broad  causeway. 

On  turning  his  eyes  towards  the  city,  Burr  ex- 
perienced a  thrill  of  surprise.  The  prospect  sur- 
passed his  pre-conceptions.  In  the  subdued  glow 
of  the  setting  sun,  he  saw  all  things  touched  with 
a  visionary  splendour.  Streets,  roofs,  belfries, 
the  cathedral  spire,  and  the  flag  of  the  Union 
streaming  far  away  above  the  fort,  appeared  ob- 
jects in  an  enchanted  scene.  Were  the  seven  cities 
of  Cibola  clustered  in  one  golden  capital  ? 

The  spell  was  broken  by  the  practical  prompt- 
ings of  common  sense.  Not  in  possession,  but 
only  in  pursuit  of  a  treasury  and  a  scepter,  the 
would-be  monarch  addressed  himself  to  the  solu- 
tion of  his  complicated  problem.  It  was  neces- 
sary to  learn  how  the  Louisianians  regarded  the 
Federal  government,  how  much  prejudice  they 
felt  against  the  Atlantic  States,  and  whether 
they  could  be  influenced  to  break  away  from 
the  Union  and  to  organize  a  separate  au- 
tonomy. Burr  wished  further  to  know  who 
and  how  many  were  disposed  to  wage  war 
against  the  Spaniards  with  the  ulterior  design 
of  conquering  Mexico.  In  order  to  learn  the 
inside  facts  he  must  gain  the  confidence  of 
all,  must  make  himself  popular,  must  fathom 
hearts  and  steal  away  brains.  The  final  sue- 


112         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

cess  of  his  plans  would  depend  on  the  good- 
will of  the  people.  The  good-will  of  the  people 
must  be  won  by  address — by  social  tact.  Social 
tact  was  Aaron  Burr's  art  of  arts.  He  deliber- 
ately set  about  the  delicate  business  of  captivating 
a  city  that  he  might  eventually  capture  it. 

Wilkinson  had  pressed  upon  him  letters  of  in- 
troduction to  the  magnates  of  the  town.  Neither 
letters  nor  formal  receptions  were  needed  to  in- 
troduce Aaron  Burr  to  society.  His  manner 
was  passport,  entitling  him  to  cross  all  bor- 
ders; his  sympathy  was  cosmopolitan,  his 
toleration  unlimited,  his  pleasure,  to  please 
others,  his  study  urbanity.  Jews  thought  him  a 
Hebrew,  and  Christians  voted  him  orthodox.  The 
amiable  but  capricious  Creoles,  easy  to  take  of- 
fense, yet  blind  in  their  devotion  to  those  they 
confide  in,  swarmed  to  his  standard.  The  Roman 
Catholic  bishop  countenanced  him,  endorsed  his 
aims,  and  signalized  an  official  friendliness  by  ac- 
companying him  on  a  visit  to  the  Ursuline  Con- 
vent, and  there  the  son  of  a  Protestant  preacher 
chatted  pleasantly  with  my  lady  prioress  and  her 
demure  nuns.  Burr  went  everywhere,  and  wher- 
ever he  went,  he  made  discreet  use  of  his  oppor- 
tunity to  inquire,  to  observe,  to  listen,  to  make 
friends  and  proselytes.  .He  felt  the  pulse  of  pub- 
lic sentiment.  Never  to  any  person  did  he  fully 
disclose  his  designs.  Without  argument  or  ap- 
peal, he  convinced,  persuaded,  and  inflamed  the 


"NOW  TO  MY  CHARMS"      123 

victims  of  his  corrupting  influence.  To  the 
avaricious  his  intimations  promised  riches;  to  the 
luxurious,  pleasure;  to  those  disaffected  towards 
the  East,  revolt  and  secession. 

Affairs  in  the  Southwest  were  unsettled.  Only 
a  year  and  a  half  had  elapsed  since  Louisiana  had 
passed  into  American  hands.  Jefferson's  land 
purchase  was  a  current  topic  of  conversation. 
Opinions  differed,  and  men  hotly  discussed  the 
question  whether,  even  if  the  President  had  a  con- 
stitutional right,  he  had  a  moral  warrant  for  sad- 
dling upon  the  young  republic  a  wild  domain,  of 
doubtful  value,  sparsely  inhabited  by  Indians  and 
already  dedicated,  by  tradition,  to  the  rule  of  an 
alien,  white  population.  The  Spaniard  and  the 
Frenchman,  sold  and  transferred,  by  one  power  to 
another,  could  not  be  expected  to  submit.  The 
citizens  had  long  yielded  willing  allegiance  to  his 
Spanish  majesty,  the  emblem  of  whose  sov- 
ereignty had  been  hauled  down,  to  give  place  to 
the  tri-color  of  France ;  and  now  that  second  ban- 
ner had  disappeared.  Though  an  American  gov- 
ernor ruled  the  district,  there  prevailed  among 
the  populace  a  hope  and  belief,  that,  after  a  brief 
meteoric  display,  the  red,  white  and  blue,  em- 
blazoned with  stars,  would  fade  and  vanish  from 
its  proud  height  over  the  old  fort,  new  garrisoned 
by  American  soldiers.  Spanish  officers  in  dis- 
guise lingered  in  the  haunts  of  their  former  dig- 
nity and  sway.  They  stirred  up  secret  dissen- 


124        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sion.  They  deemed  themselves  not  extinguished, 
though  eclipsed.  Discontent  and  resistance  were 
in  the  air.  War-clouds  hung  dark  along  the  Mexi- 
can and  Floridan  border,  rumbling  with  ominous 
thunder. 

Into  this  chaos  of  troubled  politics,  and  con- 
flicting interests,  Aaron  Burr  came  exploring, 
vigilant  to  note  and  sedulous  to  question.  The 
sum  of  the  impressions  which  he  received  con- 
firmed him  in  the  belief  that  the  people  of  the 
West  and  Southwest  were  ready  and  anxious  to 
separate  their  section  from  the  Atlantic  States; 
and  he  felt  convinced  that  it  would  be  no  trouble 
"to  enlist  recruits  and  make  arrangements  for  a 
private  expedition  against  Mexico,"  especially  in 
case  of  war  with  Spain. 

It  was  the  middle  of  September  when,  true  to 
his  promise,  Burr  appeared  at  St.  Louis,  in  Wil- 
kinson's quarters,  to  unfold  the  tale  of  his 
triumph  in  New  Orleans.  In  the  course  of  his 
animated  narrative,  he  said : 

"There  is  an  infinite  difference  between  float- 
ing down  to  New  Orleans  in  your  delightful 
barge,  and  jogging  homeward  a  thousand  miles 
on  horseback.  That  interminable  stretch  of 
dreary  wilderness  from  Natchez  to  Nash- 
ville, along  the  Indian  trail,  over  sandy 
wastes,  through  pine  woods,  was  intoler- 
able. I  was  glad  enough  to  reach  Tennessee  and 
old  Kentucky.  The  people  of  Frankfort  treated 


"NOW  TO  MY  CHARMS"       125 

me  very  handsomely,  as  did  those  of  Lexington. 
I  paid  my  respects  to  the  local  idol,  the  young 
Virginia  orator  and  rising  lawyer,  Henry  Clay. 
That  man  is  a  prodigy — he  will  make  his  mark. 
I  wish  he  were  hand  in  hand  with  us,  like  Jack- 
son, and  ready  to  embark  his  fortune  at  our 
prompting." 

"So  do  I.  Clay  is  a  rising  power,  notwith- 
standing his  conceit.  He  will  make  a  stir  in  Con- 
gress some  of  these  days." 

"That  he  will,"  said  Burr,  and  proceeded  with 
his  story,  at  the  close  of  which  he  exclaimed, 

"I  wish  you  could  attend  one  of  the  meetings 
of  the  Mexican  Society  in  New  Orleans.  Its  object 
is  to  discuss  means  of  emancipating  Mexico.  You 
should  hear,  as  I  have  heard,  the  outspoken  dis- 
contents of  the  Creole  population.  They  adore 
the  institution  of  African  slavery.  They  hate 
New  England.  They  will  not  buy  even  a  Yankee 
clock  if  it  is  adorned  with  an  image  of  the  Yankee 
Goddess  of  Liberty.  But  they  are  mine,  every 
mother's  son  of  them,  and  what  is  more  import- 
ant, every  father's  daughter  of  them.  I  took  the 
city  by  storm,  and  the  outlying  provinces  belong 
to  us.  We  have  a  people  and,  virtually,  an  army. 
The  moral  conquest  is  complete.  When  the  hour 
strikes  for  extending  the  borders  of  our  con- 
ceded realm,  you  are  the  chosen  Caesar." 

"Can  we  depend  on  David  Clarke's  co-opera- 
tion?" 


126         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Why  not?  His  interests  are  bound  up  in 
ours.  We  have  a  host  of  stanch  adherents,  in 
all  parts  of  the  country  and  on  the  high  sea,  and 
in  Europe,  soldiers,  statesmen,  capitalists.  I  need 
not  name  them  to  you.  All  these  are  to  be  kept 
in  mind  and  treated  with  due  consideration.  Our 
enterprise  is  in  its  preliminary  stage.  The  shrewd 
work  of  enlisting  recruits  must  be  intrusted  to 
carefully  selected  captains.  I  have  the  ways  and 
means  clearly  in  my  head.  Every  detail  must  be 
worked  out  in  practice." 

"Burr,  you  are  more  circumspect  than  I  gave 
you  credit  for  being.  There  is  always  danger 
in  the  dark.  Have  you  entertained  the  possibil- 
ity of  defection  ?" 

"I  have  measured  my  ground,  and  calculated 
the  curve  of  my  leap.  I  shall  not  fall  into  an 
abyss,  or  dash  myself  upon  a  rock.  If  we  fail  to 
sever  the  Union,  and  do  not  succeed  in  the  con- 
quest of  Mexico,  I  have  so  masked  our  designs 
as  to  make  them  appear  in  the  guise  of  innocent 
land-speculations  on  the  Wachita  river." 


XL 

PALAFOX  GROWS  INSOLENT. 

EARLY  in  October  Wilkinson's  duties  required 
him  to  visit  the  town  of  Genevive,  some  fifty 
miles  south  of  St.  Louis.  The  best  cabin  in  a 
keel-boat  had  been  furnished  in  sumptuous  style 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  self-indulgent 
chief.  Such  was  the  attractiveness  of  this  cosy 
retreat  that  the  general  preferred  it  to  his  official 
quarters  on  the  shore  and  he  occasionally  spent  a 
whole  afternoon  reading,  writing  or  dozing  there 
in  undisturbed  privacy. 

On  the  day  before  that  fixed  for  his  departure 
he  prolonged  his  stay  in  the  cabin  to  a  late  hour, 
for  reasons  partly  physical,  partly  mental.  His  ro- 
bust health  and  ebullient  spirits  were  suffering  an 
unwonted  depression.  Even  his  strong  constitu- 
tion could  not  withstand  the  "miasmatic"  vapor 
of  the  lowlands  near  the  Western  water-courses. 
The  malarial  poison  had  entered  his  blood,  caus- 
ing low  fever,  dull  headache  and  general  hypo- 
chondria. Copious  doses  of  Peruvian  bark  bit- 
ters aggravated  the  unpleasant  symptoms.  More- 
over, the  weather  had  turned  unseasonably  raw 
and  gusty.  The  characteristic  mildness  of  Octo- 
ber gave  way  to  gloomy  inclemency.  The  month 


128         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

was  not  like  its  usual  self,  and  Wilkinson  partook 
of  its  exceptional  harsh  melancholy.  Appropri- 
ate for  a  season  so  dreary  was  the  sad  name  of 
Fall — Fall,  the  period  of  decline,  decay  and  death. 
For  the  first  time  in  his  life  Wilkinson  "heard  the 
voice  which  tells  men  they  are  old,"  though  he 
was  not  old. 

The  general  sat  holding  in  his  hand  a  short  let- 
ter, in  cipher.  The  last  sentence  did  not  please 
him.  "God  bless  you  and  grant  you  a  safe  de- 
liverance from  factions  and  factious  men."  These 
words  Wilkinson  read  over  and  over.  To  him,  in 
his  dejected  mood,  with  nerves  unstrung  and 
head  swimming  in  quinine  bitters,  the  blessing 
sounded  ironical ;  a  mocking  face  seemed  con- 
cealed behind  the  mask  of  considerate  friendli- 
ness. The  tone  of  the  communication  struck  him 
as  patronizing,  perhaps  unconsciously  made  so, 
but  the  more  offensive  on  that  account.  One  sus- 
picious fancy  engenders  another ;  it  now  occurred 
to  the  general  that  his  former  comrade  and  late 
guest,  in  more  than  one  unguarded  speech,  had 
arrogated  superiority,  and  that  he  had  presumed, 
without  sufficient  warrant,  on  the  subserviency  of 
men  greater  than  himself. 

"Does  he  think  I  am  committed  to  him,  body 
and  soul  ?  Does  he  take  it  for  granted  that  I  am 
a  tool  and  a  fool  ?  Burr  should  consider  his  own 
position  and  mine.  I  have  had  too  much  experi- 


PALAFOX  GROWS  INSOLENT    129 

ence  in  the  world  to  be  caught  by  this  shrewd  con- 
triver, or  by  any  man." 

Wilkinson  put  the  letter  away,  and  taking  a 
book,  threw  himself  on  his  bed.  The  volume  he 
had  chosen  was  a  fine  copy  of  the  Sentimental 
Journey,  his  favorite  reading.  The  italicised  wit 
and  glossy  licentiousness  of  Yorick  did  not  fix  at- 
tention. Neither  the  "Dead  Ass,"  nor  the  "Star- 
ling," nor  the  fair  "Fille  de  chambre,"  had  now  a 
charm  to  steal  the  reader  from  his  petty  miseries 
of  head  and  heart.  Castingthe  book  aside, he  again 
arose,  paced  nervously  up  and  down  the  cramped 
cabin,  and  once  more  sought  comfort  in  the  cush- 
ioned seat.  Prudence  bade  him  seek  home  before 
nightfall,  but  the  inertia  of  despondency  kept  him 
from  going.  The  gathering  darkness,  the  whin- 
ing wind,  the  sound  of  restless  water  lapping  and 
sucking  around  the  keel,  suggested  superstitious 
forebodings  and  called  up  dismal  images.  To 
every  mood  there  is  a  season;  this  was  Wilkin- 
son's hour  of  self-examination.  He  looked  back- 
ward on  his  deeds  and  inward  on  his  motives. 
He  mistrusted  the  future.  If  he  were  sure  that 
Burr's  rainbow  dipped  its  gorgeous  ends  in  gold, 
no  accusing  ghost  of  the  past  would  deter  him 
from  chasing  the  yellow  temptation  over  moun- 
tains or  through  bogs.  He  was  not  given  to 
brooding  over  bygone  failures,  nor  was  he  much 
afraid  that  his  buried  sins  would  arise  to  find  him 


130         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

out.  He  began  to  think  better  of  his  friend's  mes- 
sage. Burr  was  certainly  a  deep  man  and  bold; 
he  had  genius;  he  had  perseverance,  enthusiasm, 
resource,  resolution.  Taking  him  all  in  all,  he 
was  a  masterful  spirit,  a  fit  partner,  nay,  even 
a  leader  for  James  Wilkinson. 

To  dispel  mental  gloom,  the  general  summoned 
his  familiar,  the  nimble  spirit  of  alcohol.  One 
dram  proved  so  enlivening,  by  going  "straight  to 
the  spot,"  that  another  was  tossed  off,  from  a 
sense  of  gratitude.  Evidently  the  best  ingredient 
in  the  bitters  was  the  solvent,  not  the  Peruvian 
bark.  Wilkinson  placed  the  bottle  in  a  cupboard, 
and  was  preparing  to  leave  the  cabin,  when  the 
door  opened  and  in  walked  Palafox.  The  com- 
mander-in-chief,  whom  fever  and  quinine  had 
rendered  hot-headed,  stared  angrily. 

"What  does  this  mean?  Didn't  I  warn  you 
never  again  to  come  to  me  unless  sent  for?  You 
sneak  in  without  so  much  as  knocking!  Your 
effrontery  deserves  a  horsewhip !  Begone !" 

Instead  of  going,  the  intruding  boatman  pulled 
off  his  slouch  hat  and  made  a  humble  bow :  "I  beg 
your  pardon,  general,  but  I  used  to  come  and  go, 
you  recollect,  by  your  order,  informally,  like  a 
kind  of  private  secretary,  and  I  can't  get  rid  of 
the  familiar  habit." 

"Familiar!  I  should  say  so!  You  are  brazen! 
I  doubt  you  are  drunk  or  you  would  not  have  the 


PALAFOX  GROWS  INSOLENT    131 

audacity  to  invade  my  privacy  and  speak  as  you 
do." 

"Well,  governor,  what  if  I  am  drunk?  You 
don't  see  anything  disgraceful  in  that,  do  you  ?" 

The  insolence  of  this  personal  thrust  enraged 
Wilkinson  beyond  endurance.  In  his  indignation 
he  snatched  a  sheathed  sword  from  the  wall  and 
struck  Palafox  a  rash  blow.  The  ruffian  recoiled, 
staggering,  and  clutched  at  the  hilt  of  a  dirk  in 
his  belt. 

"Is  that  enough  for  you?"  cried  the  furious 
general. 

The  Spaniard,  livid  and  trembling,  checked  the 
impulse  to  draw  his  dirk,  and  slowly  raising  his 
hand  to  the  bleeding  welt  on  his  forehead,  said 
with  sullen  irony : 

"It's  now  more'n  three  months  since  I  invaded 
your  privacy,  as  you  call  it.  I  came  all  the 
way  from  Natchez  for  money,  not  for  abuse.  You 
owe  me,  and  if  you  are  a  man  of  your  word  you'll 
pay  me.  I  want  to  leave  this  part  of  the  country, 
and  won't  bother  you  any  more  after  you've  paid 
what's  coming  to  me,  unless  you  want  to  hear 
some  facts  concerning  your  own  good  that  I've 
picked  up  for  you." 

The  unabashed,  persistent  importunity  of 
Palafox,  astounded  Wilkinson.  There  was  an 
accent  of  admiration  in  his  exclamation,  "You 
dare-devil !" 


132         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"I'm  not  daring  you,  general,  and  if  I  was,  you 
are  not  a  devil,  only  a  debtor." 

The  dignity  of  Wilkinson  could  not  suffer  fur- 
ther saucy  retort  or  question. 

"This  farce  must  end.  I  cannot  bandy  words 
with  such  as  you.  Not  another  dollar  shall  you  re- 
ceive from  me — not  a  penny.  You  had  my  final 
word  at  Massac,  last  Spring.  Quit  this  boat  in- 
stantly, and  leave  St.  Louis.  If  I  see  you  again, 
or  hear  of  your  hanging  around  the  garrison,  I'll 
settle  your  account  in  short  order." 

"I  don't  belong  to  the  army." 

"No!"  answered  the  chief,  sternly,  "but  I  do; 
and  I  have  civil  authority  also.  If  you  had  jus- 
tice, Palafox,  you  would  hang.  I  am  ashamed  of 
myself  to  speak  to  you  further.  Now,  go." 

"Yes,  I'll  go;  I'll  go  in  a  minute;  but  I've  got 
a  scrap  of  paper  I  want  to  read  to  you.  Will  you 
hear  it?" 

Not  unwilling  to  learn  what  might  be  the  pur- 
port of  the  writing  so  dramatically  introduced, 
and  in  order  to  get  rid  of  Palafox  without  fur- 
ther violence,  Wilkinson  consented  to  listen. 

With  his  back  to  the  door,  the  lowering  Span- 
iard read  the  following:  "It  is  not  necessary  to 
suggest  to  a  gentleman  of  your  experience  and 
knowledge  of  the  world,  that  man,  throughout 
the  world,  is  governed  by  private  interest,  how- 
ever variously  modified  it  may  be.  Some  men  are 
avaricious,  some  are  vain,  others  are  ambitious. 


PALAFOX  GROWS  INSOLENT    133 

To  detect  the  prevailing  passion,  to  lay  hold  of 
and  to  make  most  of  it  is  the  profoundest  secret 
of  political  science." 

Pausing,  he  asked  sarcastically : 

"Are  those  your  sentiments?  Folks  say  you 
wrote  this  to  Gardoqui,  in  January,  1789.  That 
was  before  your  plot  with  the  Spanish  Minister, 
Carondelet.  Liars  say,  and  say  in  print,  that  you 
hatched  up  a  plan  to  split  the  West  from  the  East, 
and  to  put  the  West  under  Spanish  control.  They 
say,  these  malicious  liars  do,  that  Tom  Power 
brought  ten  thousand  dollars  bribe  money,  packed 
in  barrels  of  sugar  and  bags  of  coffee,  from  New 
Madrid  to  Louisville,  and  that  Philip  Nolan  con- 
veyed the  sweetened  lucre  to  Fort  Washington." 

Wilkinson  laughed.  "You  do  not  believe  such 
absurdities,  do  you  Palafox?" 

"Why  should  I  disbelieve?  Carondelet's  plan 
seems  excellent  to  me,  a  Spaniard.  We  have  been 
talking  about  events  that  happened  ten  years 
since.  I  was  in  your  service  nearly  twenty  years 
ago;  you  sent  correspondence  down  the  river 
when  I  was  a  boy,  but  I  was  a  good,  careful  boy, 
and  always  tried  to  act  with  intelligence.  I've 
saved  lots  of  nice  letters.  I'm  fond  of  good  read- 
ing." 

Whether  it  was  owing  to  illness  or  quinine  or 
conscience,  a  slight  dizziness  came  over  Wilkin- 
son; his  head  swam;  he  leaned  far  back  in  his 
chair,  and  endeavored  to  steady  his  thoughts. 


134         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Palafox  cast  on  him  a  sidelong  malicious  glance 
and  continued  his  monologue : 

"Yes,  I've  got  lots  of  fine  sentiments  in  my 
archives.  Here's  an  original.  It's  tolerable  old, 
you  see,  stained  and  worn."  This  he  said  display- 
ing a  soiled  paper,  which  he  drew  carefully  from 
a  large  leathern  pocket-book.  "Let's  see.  Yes, 
this  is  the  original  of  a  fine  letter,  a  copy  of  which 
I  delivered  to  Governor  Miro." 

"Miro !"  exclaimed  Wilkinson. 

"Yes;  Miro,  that's  the  name — Don  Estevan 
Miro,  Spanish  governor  of  Louisiana,  before 
Carondelet's  day." 

Wilkinson  rose  menacingly.  Palafox  did  not 
flinch,  but  leering  significantly,  read  these  words : 

"My  situation  is  mortally  painful  because, 
whilst  I  abhor  all  duplicity,  I  am  obliged  to  dis- 
semble. This  makes  me  extremely  desirous  of 
resorting  to  some  contrivance  that  will  put  me  in 
a  position  in  which  I  flatter  myself  to  be  able  to 
profess  myself  publicly  the  vassal  of  his  Catholic 
majesty,  and,  therefore,  claim  his  protection,  in 
whatever  public  or  private  measures  I  may  devise 
to  promote  the  interests  of  the  crown." 

"There,  general,  I  should  say  this  might  be 
valuable  property  for  you  to  possess,  and  damag- 
ing to  you  if  it  falls  under  the  eye  of  the  public," 
remarked  Palafox,  thrusting  the  letters  into  his 
pocket.  "It  bears  your  signature.  I  deciphered 
every  secret  letter  that  touched  my  hand  from  you 


PALAFOX  GROWS  INSOLENT    135 

to  Miro  and  Carondelet,  and  from  them  to  you. 
Now,  hadn't  you  better  buy  the  whole  damned 
correspondence?" 

"Buy?"  sneered  Wilkinson,  trembling  with 
passion.  "So  this  is  all  the  desperate  attempt  of 
a  felon  to  levy  blackmail  upon  his  benefactor !" 

The  boatman  turned  to  lift  the  latch. 

"You  won't  buy,  then?" 

No  reply  was  vouchsafed  the  desperado. 

"I'll  tell  you  what  I'll  do.  I'll  throw  in  a  spice 
of  Aaron  Burr  pepper  that  he  happened  to  spill  in 
my  sight.  You  and  Aaron  appear  to  be  thick.  He 
and  I  are  chums,  too.  He  is  one  of  us.  The 
colonel  is  a  lovely  mole,  very  smooth  and  shiny, 
but  he  don't  always  tunnel  deep  enough  to  hide 
his  track." 

"Begone!" 

"O,  I'm  going.  If  you  won't  buy,  I'll  keep. 
Good-bye,  general." 

He  deliberately  put  on  his  slouch  hat  and 
backed  out  through  the  narrow  doorway.  As  a 
parting  salute  he  touched  with  his  finger  the  red 
contusion  on  his  forehead.  Wilkinson  stood  a 
few  seconds,  in  rigid  silence,  then  stepped  to  the 
open  door  and  called  aloud : 

"Palafox !    Come  back !" 

No  answer  was  returned  to  the  cry,  nor  did  the 
vanished  figure  reappear.  Not  even  the  sound  of 
his  retreating  footfalls  could  be  heard.  A  dense 
fog  had  risen,  shrouding  the  river  and  crawling 


136         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

over  cottage  and  chapel  and  fort.  Alone,  in  the 
boat's  cabin,  by  the  dim  light  of  a  flickering  lamp, 
the  general  waited  and  waited,  anxious  to  soothe 
and  conciliate  the  malignant  underling,  once  his 
minion,  now  an  unscrupulous  enemy,  too  danger- 
ous to  be  despised.  The  proud  officer  listened  for 
a  returning  step  or  a  relenting  voice,  but  heard  no 
other  noise  than  that  made  by  the  whining  winds, 
and  by  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  fretting  and 
swirling  around  the  keel  of  his  solitary  boat. 


XII. 

SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER. 

AFTER  his  tour  in  the  West,  Burr,  homeward 
bound,  pursued  his  way  from  St.  Louis  to  Vin- 
cennes,  thence  to  Cincinnati,  and  up  the  Ohio  to 
the  beautiful  island  he  had  visited  in  the  month  of 
May.  Change  of  season  had  transformed  a  para- 
dise of  soft  verdure  and  tender  bloom  into  an 
Eden  of  gorgeous  foliage  and  gaudy  flowers.  The 
house  of  Blennerhassett  he  saw  embowered  in 
trees  magnificently  colored  by  the  wonder-work- 
ing frosts  of  October.  The  place  was  Faerie 
Land,  but  had  not  Gloriana  been  there,  it  may  be 
doubted  whether  other  attractions  of  the  lovely 
isle  would  have  detained  the  restless  conspirer. 
Once  more  the  American  statesman  stood  in  the 
presence  of  the  fairest  dame  west  of  the  Alle- 
ghanies,  and  she  received  him  with  cordial  words 
and  kind  eyes. 

"We  have  been  expecting  this  visit.  Your  let- 
ters to  my  husband  kept  us  both  in  hope  you 
would  not  fail  to  honor  us  before  your  return  to 
Philadelphia." 

"The  boat  which  brought  me  up-stream, 
madam,  rounded  into  your  wharf  of  its  own  mo- 
tion, attracted  by  some  lodestone  or  guiding  star. 
I  am  here  again,  after  many  days." 


138         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"You  have  wandered  far  since  you  happened  to 
discover  our  hiding-place  last  May." 

"Wandered  is  the  word.  Like  a  pilgrim,  I 
went  in  Spring  to  come  back  in  Autumn." 

"Bringing  the  palm  ?" 

"Palm,  olive,  laurel,  myrtle — the  whole  botany 
of  lucky  leaves.  How  are  my  boys,  Dominick 
and — what's  the  younger  one's  name? — Yes, 
Harman,  how  are  they?  I  am  due  in  Philadel- 
phia, but  I  delay  business  to  indulge  inclination." 

"You  did  not  quite  forget  the  lonely  island 
and  its  solitary  family?" 

"He  would  be  an  insane  palmer  who  could  for- 
get the  most  attractive  shrine  in  the  round  of  his 
long  pilgrimage " 

As  Burr  was  saying  these  words,  a  soft  shuf- 
fling step  was  heard  in  the  adjoining  room,  and 
a  grave  gentleman  in  spectacles  made  his  appear- 
ance in  the  doorway. 

"Colonel  Burr,  my  husband." 

"A  happiness  and  an  honor  to  meet  you, 
Colonel  Burr." 

Bow  followed  bow,  urbane  word  echoed  word, 
awkwardly  protracting  the  salutatory  ceremony 
until  Burr  felt  like  a  Chinese  mandarin  at  a 
court  reception.  According  to  his  wife's  judg- 
ment, Mr.  Blennerhassett  acquitted  himself  ad- 
mirably; she  felt  that  Burr  must  recognize 
sterling  manhood  and  aristocratic  breeding. 
This  he  did,  and  more,  for  at  a  glance  he 


SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER     139 

read  the  book  and  volume  of  her  husband's 
character,  interpreting  more  accurately  than 
it  was  in  her  nature  to  do.  The  woman's  par- 
tial eye  discovered  the  sound  qualities  it  wished 
to  see,  while  the  calculating  insight  of  the  man 
of  the  world  detected  the  flaws  he  was  too  will- 
ing to  find. 

The  solemnities  of  introduction  being  safely 
over,  Blennerhassett  monopolized  the  guest,  and 
led  the  way  to  his  study,  eager  to  set  forth  a  feast 
of  information.  Among  his  books  he  could  talk 
like  a  book;  out  of  the  library  he  lost  energy. 
There  was  one  source  from  which  he  took  a  cur- 
rent of  mental  force  more  vitalizing  than  any 
stream  of  ideas  from  books,  and  that  source  was 
the  superior  intellect  of  his  wife.  Hardly  could 
he  make  up  his  mind  on  any  practical  matter,  un- 
assisted by  her  thinking  and  advice.  Doubly  de- 
pendent, he  was  not  the  man  to  cope  with  the  dar- 
ing, self-reliant,  versatile  Aaron  Burr.  But  once 
in  his  stronghold,  bulwarked  by  standard  edi- 
tions, and,  as  it  were,  in  the  arsenal  of  established 
science,  the  philosopher  rose  to  his  best.  He 
fairly  glowed  with  learning's  soft  fire,  while  ex- 
hibiting his  telescope,  microscope,  electrical  ma- 
chine, et  cetera,  and  stating  to  the  last  shilling 
what  each  piece  of  apparatus  cost  and  how  it  was 
to  be  used.  Burr,  himself  a  victim  of  mild  biblio- 
mania, took  most  interest  in  the  loaded  shelves, 
along  which  his  eyes  travelled  with  rapid  dis- 
crimination. 


HO        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"I  see  familiars  here.  Your  Voltaire  is  a 
match  for  mine.  Ah! — Rousseau,  Bentley,  Gib- 
bon, Hume — I  fancy  myself  in  my  study  on  Rich- 
mond Hill.  You  must  be  a  free-thinker.  Where 
is  the  Holy  Bible  ?  I  hope  you  are  not  past  that  ?" 

"The  Sacred  Scripture?  I  have  two  copies.  I  be- 
lieve they  are  both  in  Margaret's  room — I  mean 
Mrs.  Blennerhassett's.  She  reads  the  Bible  fre- 
quently, especially  the  poetical  parts.  The  He- 
brew mind  is  poetical.  I  have  searched  the  Scrip- 
ture in  vain  for  scientific  data.  There  is  little  or 
no  exact  science  in  the  work.  Nothing  on  physic, 
though  they  claim  that  St.  Luke  was  a  doctor. 
Let  me  show  you  a  remarkable  volume — cen- 
turies old — this  folio  copy  of  Hippocrates,  trans- 
lated from  the  original  Greek  into  Arabic  and 
from  Arabic  into  Latin.  My  favorite  reading, 
however,  is  purely  literary — the  book  of  books — 
the  incomparable  Homer.  Alexander  the  Great 
kept  his  Homer  in  a  golden  box;  I  keep  mine  in 
my  head,  sir,  or  perhaps  I  should  say,  in  my  heart. 
I  have  committed  to  memory  the  greater  part  of 
the  epic." 

"Is  it  possible?" 

To  Burr's  consternation,  the  host  seemed  de- 
sirous of  proving  that  it  was  possible,  by  reciting 
the  Iliad. 

Blennerhassett  kept  hexameters  flowing  sev- 
eral minutes,  marking  quantity  with  tongue  and 
moving  finger. 


SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER     141 

"What  a  pity  we  lack  spondees,  in  English, 
colonel.  Do  you  write  verse,  sir  ?" 

"Not  I.    I  suppose  you  do?" 

"No;  not  since  leaving  college.  I  admire 
poetry,  but  I  could  never  master  the  meters.  It  is 
different  with  Margaret — I  mean  my  wife.  She 
writes  correctly.  She  is  a  born  poet.  You  recall 
Horace,  'poeta  nascitur.'  I  confine  my  pen  to 
the  composition  of  music  and  political  essays." 

"I  have  heard  of  your  political  writings,  but 
not  of  your  musical  compositions,"  said  Burr; 
the  last  half  of  the  speech  being  true.  "Nor  have 
I  had  the  good  fortune  to  read  the  poems  of 
Madam  Blennerhassett.  Are  they  in  print?" 

"Some  have  been  published,  fugitively;  the 
most  of  them  remain  in  manuscript." 

"Sir,  you  could  not  give  me  a  greater  pleasure 
than  the  perusal  of  those  poems  would  afford."  . 

The  near-sighted  sage  unlocked  a  rosewood 
cabinet  and-  took  out  three  leaves  of  tinted  paper 
which  he  gave  to  Burr.  On  the  pages  were  writ- 
ten, in  fine  hand,  several  stanzas  under  the  title, 
"Indian  Summer." 

"Read  this  at  your  leisure  and  give  me  your 
opinion."  Burr,  bowing,  took  the  manuscript, 
and  the  complaisant  husband,  pointing  to  a  pile 
of  sheet  music,  spoke  on.  "This  is  of  my  own 
composition.  Do  you  play  the  violoncello?" 

Burr  shook  his  head. 

"Perhaps  you  prefer  the  violin  or  the  flute?" 


142         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"No,  I  cannot  play  any  instrument — not  even  a 
jewsharp." 

"Not  even  that?"  murmured  the  other,  with  a 
sigh  of  infinite  regret.  "I  am  fond  of  the  vio- 
lincello,  the  viola  da  gamba  of  medieval  times. 
Properly  it  is  not  a  viol — not  a  base  viol  as  some 
suppose,  but  a  violin  of  extra  large  size.  That  is 
what  it  is." 

While  imparting  this  knowledge,  the  speaker 
drew  from  a  baize  bag  the  instrument,  and 
tuned  it.  He  placed  an  open  music  book  upon  a 
rest,  and  proceeded  to  entertain  his  audience  of 
one.  He  played  and  played  and  played.  The 
best  way  to  please  such  an  artist  is  to  humor  the 
illusion  that  his  exertions  give  pleasure.  No 
human  performance  can  last  forever — not  even  a 
concert.  A  string  broke,  and  the  musician,  put- 
ting his  'cello  aside  with  a  sigh,  suffered  the  con- 
versation to  run  in  a  new  channel  opened  by  Burr. 

"Bravo!  You  play  delightfully.  There  is 
magic  in  your  fingers.  Beware  of  such  skill;  it 
may  charm  yourself  to  your  injury.  You  have 
read  everything;  you  remember  Bunyan's  epi- 
sode of  the  Enchanted  Ground.  This  island  re- 
minds me  of  that  valley  of  rest.  Is  it  possible  you 
have  forgotten  the  world  since  abandoning  public 
affairs  ?" 

"No,  sir;  no.  I  sought  retirement  for  many 
reasons,  but  I  am  a  cosmopolitan.  I  care  for  the 
welfare  of  the  race.  I  may  describe  myself  as  a 


SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER     143 

philanthropist,  a  humanitarian.  I  know  Europe, 
I  am  learning  America.  My  local  attachments 
are  not  strong,  though  my  principles  are  like  iron. 
I  left  my  native  country  to  seek  a  larger  freedom 
in  the  United  States." 

"Then  why  do  you  confine  your  liberty?  This 
is  a  pent-up  field  for  a  man  of  broad  views." 

"I  beg  your  pardon.  Solitude  is  the  best  school 
in  which  to  study  society.  In  this  seclusion  I 
read,  and  reading  makes  a  full  man.  Though  a 
newcomer,  I  try  to  keep  myself  informed  con- 
cerning this  country's  history  and  institutions. 
I  do  not  understand  all  the  complications  of  your 
politics ;  I  am  no  partisan.  No  one  is  better  pre- 
pared than  yourself  to  expound  public  matters. 
This  dispute  in  regard  to  the  boundary  line  be- 
tween Louisiana  and  Mexico  threatens  war,  does 
it  not?" 

"I  fear  not,"  replied  Burr,  remarking  an  oppor- 
tunity to  inform  and  bias  an  unwary  savant.  The 
lump  had  invited  the  leaven. 

"I  fear  not." 

"Then  you  desire  war  ?" 

"This  Government  should  take  care  of  its  own, 
at  all  hazards.  The  Spaniards  wish  to  provoke 
hostilities.  My  friend  and  fellow-officer,  General 
Wilkinson,  commander-in-chief  of  the  Western 
troops,  holds  the  army  in  readiness  to  advance 
into  Mexico  at  a  moment's  warning." 

"At  a  moment's  warning?"  repeated  Blenner- 


i44         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

hassett,  dubiously.  "General  Wilkinson  told  you 
so?  Is  he — a  reliable  officer ?" 

"He  and  I  are  most  intimate  friends.  We  con- 
sult on  public  and  on  private  concerns.  I  have 
just  returned  from  his  headquarters  in  St.  Louis, 
where  we  were  considering  a  business  enterprise 
— the  purchase  of  a  large  tract  on  the  Wachita 
river,  between  the  Red  and  the  Sabine." 

"Do  you  purpose  returning  South  to  remain?" 

"My  intention  is  to  buy  those  fertile  lands,  es- 
tablish a  colony,  and  develop  the  resources  of  the 
region,  as  a  sure  and  easy  means  of  making  my 
own  fortune,  and  the  fortunes  of  my  associates." 

"You  are  confident  that  the  prospect  of  increas- 
ing your  capital  is  good  ?" 

"I  am  absolutely  certain.  I  speak  positively, 
but  not  rashly." 

Blennerhassett  nodded  slowly,  three  or  four 
times,  and  Burr  spoke  on. 

"That  the  investment  will  prove  enormously 
profitable  I  have  not  the  shadow  of  a  shade  of 
doubt.  General  Wilkinson  knows  the  property, 
and  so  do  I.  There  are  more  than  a  million  acres 
to  be  had  for  fifty  thousand  dollars.  The  present 
value  is  ten  times  that  amount." 

"If  the  inquiry  is  not  impertinent,  sir,  have  you 
organized  a  joint  stock  company?  Have  you 
completed  your  plans?" 

"Practically,  everything  is  arranged.  Nego- 
tiations are  afoot.  The  necessary  capital  will  be 


SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER     145 

forthcoming.  We  take  no  risk.  To  you  I  will 
say,  in  confidence,  that  the  number  of  share- 
holders will  be  severely  limited.  You  know  how 
desirable  it  is,  in  partnerships  of  this  kind,  to  ad- 
mit only  men  of  unimpeachable  honor." 

Again  Blennerhassett  nodded  three  or  four 
times,  like  an  automaton.  Burr,  affecting  to  dis- 
miss the  topic,  turned  again  to  the  book-shelves 
and  fell  to  reading  the  gilded  titles.  A  copy  of 
"The  Prince"  arrested  his  eye.  Taking  this  down, 
he  opened  it  at  random,  and  read  aloud :  "Men 
will  always  prove  bad,  unless  by  necessity  they 
are  compelled  to  be  good." 

"What  do  you  think  of  that  as  an  estimate  of 
human  nature?" 

"Abominable !" 

Burr  fluttered  the  leaves  of  the  famous  treat- 
ise and  came  upon  this  sentence,  marked  by  a 
pen :  "It  is  of  great  consequence  to  disguise  your 
inclination  and  to  play  the  hypocrite  well;  and 
men  are  so  simple  in  their  temper  and  so  submis- 
sive, that  he  that  is  neat  and  cleanly  in  his  col- 
lusions shall  never  want  people  to  practice  upon." 

"Why  did  you  mark  that  passage?" 

"To  condemn  the  doctrine.  The  hypocrite  can 
never  thrive;  the  plain,  honest  man  always  sees 
through  the  disguise.  Virtue  is  all-seeing,  but 
fraud  is  blind." 

"You  mint  apothegms,  sir.  It  is  an  intellectual 
feast  to  hear  you  talk." 


146         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Burr  replaced  Machiavelli  on  its  shelf,  con- 
fronted his  host,  and,  in  a  tone  deferential  and 
almost  apologetic,  said,  "You  must  not  accuse  me 
of  flattery,  sir,  when  I  bluntly  charge  you  with 
defrauding  the  world  and  robbing  that  humanity 
which  you  profess  to  love." 

"I  can't  find  any  flattery  in  such  accusation. 
Kindly  explain  what  you  mean.  Whom  do  I  de- 
fraud ?  and  how  is  it  flattery  to  charge  a  man  with 
insincerity?" 

"Well,  you  seem  to  me  to  be  evading  your  duty 
to  the  world,  by  hiding  from  its  great  public  in- 
terests, enterprises  and  conflicts.  You  linger  here, 
a  magnificent  hermit.  If  ever  a  philanthropist 
hid  his  light  under  a  bushel,  thou  art  the  man. 
If  ever  brilliant  talents  rusted  in  a  napkin,  yours 
do.  Your  noble  wife  is  cut  off  from  the  splendid 
career  appropriate  to  her,  and  is  compelled  to  de- 
vote her  days  to  rural  walks  and  the  direction  of 
a  few  negro  slaves.  Not  to  dwell  on  the  sacri- 
fice of  mother  and  sons,  your  own  learning,  for- 
tune, and  extraordinary  mental  powers — your 
genius  for  dealing  with  men — are  here  employed, 

not  in  the  service  of  mankind,  but  in "  Burr 

was  tempted  to  say  "fiddling,"  but  he  substituted 
the  words — "gazing  at  the  stars  through  a  tele- 
scope. Pardon  me  for  speaking  strongly.  It  is 
only  a  few  hours  since  we  first  met,  but  I  am 
drawn  to  you.  I  admire  and  esteem  you,  and  my 
motive  in  this  perhaps  impertinent  appeal,  is  the 
wish  to  serve  you." 


SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER     147 

Blennerhassett  felt  much  gratified  by  the  in- 
sidious censure.  His  portrait,  amiably  regarding 
its  original  from  the  wall,  listened  approvingly  to 
Burr,  and  smiled  acquiescence.  "Does  the  mild- 
eyed  thing  recollect  me?"  mused  Burr.  The  pic- 
ture betrayed  no  sign  of  recognition  and  the 
original  spoke. 

"Such  candor  is  rare,  and  I  appreciate  it.  I  am 
honored  by  the  outspoken  confidence  of  the  man 
I  know  you  to  be,  not  only  from  what  I  have  read 
of  your  political  course,  which  I  wholly  approve, 
but  from  Mrs.  Blennerhassett's  reports  of  your 
conversation.  Her  judgment  is  unerring.  I  de- 
fer to  it.  You  will  confer  a  great  favor  on  me  by 
explaining,  in  detail,  your  Southern  plans." 

Thus  solicited,  Burr  adroitly  availed  himself  of 
the  opportunity  to  divulge,  not  only  his  project  of 
settling  the  Bastrop  lands,  but  such  part  of  his 
other  plans  as  he  deemed  it  prudent  to  reveal  at 
the  time.  He  learned  to  his  satisfaction  that 
Blennerhassett  had  no  repugnance  to  the  idea  of 
separating  the  Western  States  from  the  Eastern 
and  of  invading  Mexico.  Burr's  angling  had 
gone  on  for  an  hour,  with  lures  so  tempting  that 
the  gudgeon  seemed  about  to  swallow  bait,  hook 
and  all,  when  the  conversation  was  disturbed  by 
an  unusual  clamor  of  excited  voices  coming  from 
the  negro  quarters.  Blennerhassett,  in  a  flurry, 
excused  himself,  and  hastened  to  inquire  what 
was  the  matter.  He  found  his  servants,  black 


148        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

and  white,  huddled  together  around  Scipio,  who 
had  just  told  the  grinning  crowd  that  Honest 
Moses  was  missing  from  the  plantation,  having 
been  enticed  by  an  Ohio  farmer  to  cross  the  river 
and  run  away  to  the  free  North. 

This  was  Scipio's  story,  but  Peter  Taylor,  who 
stood  smoking  a  small  pipe,  with  looks  of  austere 
indifference  to  all  human  interests,  had  another 
theory  to  account  for  the  leave-taking  of  Moses. 

"I've  no  hidea  'e  ran  away  to  Ohio.  That  lazy 
nigger  'ated  work  too  much  to  run  away  to  Ohio. 
I  suspicion  that  the  rascal  drifted  away  on  a  flat- 
boat." 

"What  makes  you  think  so,  Peter?" 

"I  can't  say  that  I  altogether  think  anything 
sure  about  the  nigger.  It  isn't  my  business  to 
think  about  other  people's  business.  I  only  say  I 
suspicion.  If  I  knew  what  was  hid  in  the  future, 
I  would  have  told.  But  it's  my  firm  suspicion 
that  a  boatman  by  the  name  of  Sheldrake  lured 
Honest  Moses  away  on  a  flatboat." 

"No;  Mars  Taylor,"  reiterated  Scipio,  "Moses 
done  tole  Ransom  he  was  gwine  to  run  off,  up 
Muskingum." 

"When  did  he  tell  you?" 

"Las'  Crismus." 

"For  de  Lawd  sake!"  cried  out  Juno,  the 
kitchen  maid,  whose  rolling  eyes  were  the  first  to 
see  the  master  approaching.  "I  never  'spected 
Honest  Moses  of  sneaking  fum  his  good  home 


SNARING  A  PHILOSOPHER     149 

and  kind  Mars  and  Missus  like  a  brack  thief  in  de 
night.  Whar's  Daniel  ?  I  hy'ard  him  prayin'  for 
Moses  yesterday." 

"No  prayin'  is  gwine  to  keep  Honest  Moses 
fum  de  debil.  Dat  nigger's  not  got  no  religion  to 
his  name — not  a  speck.  Didn't  I  tell  Missus  when 
she  thought  she  cotched  me  and  Ransom  sellin' 
watermillions  and  sweet  'tatoes  to  de  boys  from 
Marietta,  dat  it  was  Moses  done  it  ?" 

Exasperated,  perplexed,  not  knowing  how  to 
act,  Blennerhassett  sought  his  wife,  with  whom 
he  held  a  closet  conference,  lamenting  his  troubles 
and  soliciting  counsel.  The  lady  advised  him  to 
summon  Peter  Taylor,  and  suggested  that  the 
two  should  go  across  the  river  to  Belpre,  there 
consult  the  squire,  and  set  in  motion  every  avail- 
able agency  to  insure  the  recapture  of  the  fugi- 
tive. The  much-worried  philosopher  begged 
Burr  to  excuse  him  for  a  couple  of  hours,  and 
hurriedly  started  on  his  vexatious  quest,  accom- 
panied by  the  phlegmatic  gardener.  Complying 
good-naturedly  with  a  proposal  of  Dominick  and 
little  Harman,  and  convoyed  by  those  devoted 
children,  Burr  explored  orchards,  fields  and  stock- 
yard, and  won  the  extravagant  praises  of  the 
black  people  by  visiting  their  quarters  and  greet- 
ing every  one,  from  Scipio  to  the  youngest  pick- 
aninny, with  a  cheerful  word  and  a  smile.  Every 
slave  on  the  plantation  was  in  voluntary  bonds  to 
"Mars  Burr,  de  fine  gen'leman  wi'  de  coal  brack 
eyes." 


XIII. 

THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND. 

WHILE  Blennerhassett  tramped  about  Belpre, 
his  wife  assumed  the  government  at  home,  and 
Burr  studied  fresh  means  of  invading  her  heart. 
The  lady  neither  saw  nor  wished  any  escape  from 
the  pleasant  task  of  entertaining  the  affable  "pil- 
grim." Considering  how  seldom  a  person  of  ex- 
traordinary mental  gifts  brought  to  her  isolated 
home  the  sparkle  of  wit,  the  hostess  made  the 
most  of  a  golden  opportunity.  She  waited  with 
eagerness  for  Burr's  return  from  his  ramble  with 
the  boys,  whose  adhesiveness  she  knew  by  ex- 
perience might  prove  too  constant,  like  the  cling- 
ing of  Sindbad's  Old  Man  of  the  Sea. 

Burr,  despite  his  professed  fondness  for  the 
company  of  boys,  longed  to  exchange  the  society 
of  Dominick  and  Harman  for  that  of  their  win- 
some mother.  Therefore,  he  managed  to  engage 
the  lads  in  the  construction  of  a  mimic  fort  in  a 
cornfield.  Promising  to  inspect  the  grand  earth- 
work when  it  was  completed,  the  colonel  slipped 
away  to  reconnoiter  another  field. 

Retreating  in  good  order,  he  arrived  at  the 
long  portico,  and,  under  its  cover,  passed  to  the 
hall,  through  which  he  reached  the  cosy  room 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     151 

where  he  and  Arlington  had  been  entertained. 
The  French  sofa,  the  ebony  stand,  the  clavier, 
looked  familiar.  The  gilded  harp  stood  invit- 
ingly in  a  place  of  honor.  He  drew  near  the  in- 
strument, and,  smiling  to  himself,  thrummed  a 
few  notes  on  the  lower  strings.  As  if  summoned 
by  the  sound,  from  the  routine  of  household  tasks, 
the  mistress  of  the  mansion  entered  in  her  regal 
manner  and  begged  pardon  for  having  neglected 
her  guest. 

Burr  was  in  his  element  as  the  bird  in  air;  his 
winged  words  now  skimmed  the  surface  of  com- 
mon levels,  now  soared,  then  circled  round  sub- 
jects grave  or  gay,  often  fluttering,  but  never 
failing.  The  range  of  discussion  was  wide  and 
free.  They  talked  society,  arts,  countries,  travels, 
the  pleasure  of  life  and  its  pain.  He  told  of  his 
sojourn  in  New  Orleans,  describing  a  city  not 
celestial,  but  abounding  in  the  delights  of  this 
world.  She  gave  reminiscences  of  her  birthplace, 
the  Isle  of  Wight,  spoke  of  her  marriage  and  sub- 
sequent journey  ings  in  Europe  and  America. 

Burr  recalled  the  incidents  of  his  previous  visit, 
and  besought  madam  to  sing  again  the  songs 
which  had  delighted  him  that  evening  after  the 
ramble  in  the  woods.  She  cheerfully  complied; 
for  singing  was  her  prime  accomplishment.  The 
lady  felt  keen  enjoyment  in  the  consciousness  of 
being  understood  and  sympathized  with,  by  a 
man  of  brains  and  character. 


152        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

The  hour  for  lunch  having  arrived,  Burr  was 
conducted  to  the  dining-room,  and  the  pair  sat 
down  to  a  dainty  repast,  served  by  a  black  damsel, 
who  cast  furtive  glances  upon  the  stranger,  and 
observed  that  the  "Missus"  wore  her  finest 
jewels  and  seemed  refreshed  by  the  cares  of  hos- 
pitality. Never  before  had  such  enlivening  gos- 
sip been  heard  by  a  servant  in  that  sober  house. 
The  table-talk  played  familiarly  with  names  and 
individuals. 

"What  became  of  the  handsome  young  Arling- 
ton ?" 

"You  think  him  handsome?  He  is  in  Vir- 
ginia. I  expect  him  to  join  me  in  a  business  en- 
terprise. A  fine  fellow,  thorough-bred.  His 
name  calls  to  mind  your  protegee,  the  golden- 
haired  Yankee  beauty.  Arlington  was  smitten 
by  her  demure  eyes — pierced  to  the  heart.  Those 
wild  violets  worked  him  woe." 

"Are  you  sure?    Did  he  own  it?" 

"He  did  not  confess  in  words,  but  I  divined  the 
secret,  which  was  no  secret,  for  he  revealed  it  by 
every  sign  known  to  the  Court  of  Love.  He  was 
struck  as  by  lightning — stunned  by  a  love  bolt." 

"The  stroke  was  harmless.  On  his  return  from 
Cincinnati  he  passed  through  Marietta,  where  he 
knows  Evaleen  lives,  and  made  no  effort  to  meet 
her,  but  rode  by  her  house ;  I  was  with  her  on  the 
porch,  and  we  both  saw  him  trot  past  on  a  black 
horse.  He  stared  our  way  and  must  have  identi- 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     153 

fied  us,  yet  he  turned  his  face  forward  and 
spurred  on." 

"Incredible!    Your  eyes  deceived  you." 

"No;  it  was  Mr.  Arlington;  he  made  a  flying 
trip  to  the  island  in  company  with  a  peculiar  per- 
son, one  Plutarch  Byle." 

"Byle?  I  shall  never  forget  Plutarch!"  inter- 
jected Burr,  laughingly.  "Dominick  christened 
our  fort,  Tort  Byle.'  " 

"Have  you  seen  our  gaunt  Hercules?  Isn't  he 
an  odd  Grecian  ?  In  his  'piroque'  he  brought  Mr. 
Arlington  here.  I  was  from  home,  as  I  said.  My 
husband  suggested  to  your  Virginian  friend  that 
he  ought  to  call  on  the  Hales,  but  the  faithless 
cavalier  slighted  us.  I  much  doubt  his  interest  in 
Evaleen." 

"I  am  certain  he  was  smitten." 

"Then  he  is  inconstant,  or  else  belongs  to  the 
tribe  of  faint  hearts.  How  ridiculous  the  idea  of 
folks  falling  in  love  at  first  sight !  Yet  they  often 
do.  The  girl  was  pleased  with  him,  and  she  still 
likes  him." 

"Likes  him,  does  she?"  drawled  Burr,  sarcasti- 
cally, and  lifted  a  gherkin  to  his  teeth. 

"Yes,  don't  you  like  him?" 

"Very  much." 

He  bit  the  pickle  quite  savagely. 

"What  do  you  think  of  her?" 

"It  cannot  be  the  fault  of  the  male  sex  that  she 
remains  single." 


154        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Some  women  are  not  inclined  to  marry." 

"Is  Miss  Hale  one  of  those  foolish  virgins?" 

"She  is  wise  in  taking  time  to  select.  She  has 
many  suitors." 

"And  you  think  she  likes  Arlington?" 

"I  know  she  does." 

"Humph !  she  might  do  better." 

"She  might  fare  worse." 

"Does  he  write  to  her?" 

"No,  not  that  I  know  of." 

"He  is  an  idiot." 

"You  show  a  jealous  interest  in  the  young 
man."  Here  madam  halted  abruptly.  "Par- 
don me;  I  hear  the  boys;  their  father  must  have 
returned." 

She  rose  expecting  to  receive  her  husband  at 
the  dining-room  door,  but  the  footsteps  she  heard 
were  not  his.  The  vociferous  boys  came  rushing 
in.  "Fort  Byle"  was  finished.  Wouldn't  "Gen- 
eral" Burr  come  and  see? 

"You  should  not  storm  in,  rudely,  children; 
you  disturb  us.  Harman,  you  have  ruined  your 
clothes ;  you  are  covered  from  head  to  foot  with 
— I  don't  know  what !" 

"Spanish  needles  and  sticktights;  they  won't 
hurt.  Juno  will  scrape  them  off.  We're  hungry." 

"Won't  he  come  to  the  fort  after  luncheon?" 
importuned  Dominick. 

"Yes,  I  will  come." 

"Listen,"  said  the  mother.    "My  son,  you  must 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     155 

first  go  with  me  to  the  ferry.  I  am  uneasy  about 
papa.  He  did  not  intend  to  be  gone  longer  than 
a  couple  of  hours.  We  must  try  to  meet  him. 
Perhaps  the  colonel  will  go  along,  down  to  the 
landing." 

"Certainly,"  replied  the  colonel,  studying  how 
to  get  rid  of  the  "sticktights." 

After  luncheon,  all  set  out  on  the  proposed 
walk  to  the  river-side.  The  island  and  the  vistas 
it  commanded  naturally  drew  folks  out  of  doors. 
Finer  weather  could  not  be  imagined.  The  distance 
from  the  lawn  to  the  wharf,  by  way  of  the  wind- 
ing road,  measured  not  less  than  a  quarter  of  a 
mile.  The  boys  raced  ahead  in  the  frolic  fashion 
of  human  colts,  yelling,  leaping  and  throwing 
stones.  Slowly  the  matron  and  her  escort  fol- 
lowed, far  in  the  wake  of  the  obstreperous  juve- 
niles. 

"They  are  growing  up  like  savages,"  said  the 
mother,  deprecatingly.  "What  shall  I  do  with 
them  ?  To  teach  them  properly  seems  impossible. 
I  am  the  parent  of  a  brace  of  barbarians.  Yet 
they  are  dear  sweet  boys — loving  and  brave.  They 
despise  meanness  and  never  tell  lies." 

"Then  you  are  the  mother  of  nobles.  They  will 
be  men — to-morrow.  Plato  truly  says  the  boy  is 
the  most  unmanageable  of  animals.  Boys  have 
an  element  of  the  cruel  and  ferocious.  But  we 
need  not  take  this  much  to  heart.  They  will  out- 
grow the  savage.  We  must  not  look  for  ripe  fruit 


156        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

on  green  sprouts,  nor  for  elaborate  reason  or  vir- 
tue in  children." 

"Yet  I  cannot  bear  to  have  them  grow  up  in 
wild  ignorance." 

"No;  youth  must  be  guided.  No  greater  evil 
can  befall  a  lad  than  to  be  left  to  do  as  he  pleases. 
Yet  in  well-born  children,  such  as  yours,  much 
may  be  trusted  to  nature.  I  rely  on  human  es- 
sence. Freedom  is  the  best  school.  I  don't  believe 
we  are  born  with  evil  passions  and  base  propen- 
sities. God  made  our  faculties.  The  doctrine  of 
total  depravity  slanders  the  Creator.  The  per- 
fect man  uses  all,  abuses  none  of  his  organs  or 
energies.  To  educate  a  man  is  to  give  his  hands, 
brain,  and  heart  their  maximum  power.  This  can 
be  done  outside  of  academies.  The  free  school- 
ing out  of  school,  which  your  sons  now  enjoy,  is 
a  discipline  towards  success  in  life.  Those  fel- 
lows will  be  of  some  account,  depend  upon  it. 
The  ancient  Eastern  wisdom  said,  'Know  thy- 
self; the  new  Western  oracle  says,  'Do  some- 
thing worth  doing.'  " 

"How  true  and  how  encouraging,"  exclaimed 
the  enthusiast  at  his  side.  "I  wish  Mr.  Blenner- 
hassett  could  hear  your  broad  views.  But  I  am 
not  sure  you  are  right  in  relying  entirely  on  weak 
human  nature.  I  was  taught  to  mistrust  the 
natural  man.  Is  not  conversion  necessary?" 

"In  case  the  soul  begins  with  a  pure  inherit- 
ance, I  see  no  necessity  for  regeneration.  We 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     157 

come  into  the  world  potentially  complete.  The 
thorough  development  of  body  and  mind  will  fur- 
nish the  world  with  a  perfect  man.  The  best  edu- 
cation gives  man's  natural  powers  the  right  di- 
rection and  the  greatest  efficiency.  We  must  trust 
in  what  we  are, — in  our  own  selfhood.  Give  man 
elbow  room,  give  him  breathing  space,  liberty  to 
think,  feel  and  do.  This  is  true  living." 

Mrs.  Blennerhassett  stooped  to  pick  up  a  blood- 
red  leaf.  They  were  nearing  the  boat-landing. 
The  way  was  overarched  by  spreading  branches 
of  gigantic  maple-trees.  The  boys  had  wandered 
to  the  head  of  the  island,  two  furlongs  away. 

"What  of  woman's  education?  Should  it  dif- 
fer from  man's  ?" 

"No;  I  train  my  daughter  as  I  might  train  a 
son." 

"Are  her  thoughts  like  yours?" 

"I  put  slight  restraint  on  her  thoughts  or  emo- 
tions. There  is  no  sex  in  soul.  Woman  should 
be  free  as  the  free  breeze  singing  in  the  leaves 
over  our  head,  and  ruffling  the  waves  out  yonder 
on  the  river." 

"You  grow  eloquent.  Is  it  the  singing  breeze 
or  the  rippling  water  that  causes  you  to  put  your 
principles  in  language  so  poetical?" 

"Do  I  speak  poetically?  That  grand  oak  tree 
may  shed  Dodonian  influence.  It  looks  the  king 
of  trees — the  emperor.  These  magnificent  maples, 


158         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

robed  and  crowned  in  emerald,  gold,  and  royal 
crimson,  are  the  queens." 

"I  am  glad  you  love  the  forest,  and  are  sus- 
ceptible to  nature's  subtile  appeals.  I  don't  like 
people  who  have  no  feeling  for  scenery,  and  are 
not  affected  by  the  sublime  and  beautiful  in  na- 
ture. Mr.  Blennerhassett  does  not  agree  with  me 
in  applying  such  a  test  to  judge  one's  friends  by. 
He  thinks  I  might  be  deceived,  and  says  that  very 
wicked  folks  may  delight  in  very  lovely  scenes. 
In  my  opinion  the  good  and  the  beautiful  are  in 
harmony,  and  a  wicked  heart  seldom  goes  with  an 
aesthetic  taste.  I  may  be  wrong,  but  I  like  to 
think  that  souls  which  are  thrilled  by  the  stars 
and  the  mountains  and  the  sea,  and  by  such  forms 
and  colors  as  we  now  contemplate,  must  be  the 
nobler  and  purer  for  the  experience." 

Burr  listened  attentively  to  this  rhapsody.  The 
melodious  voice  spoke  on :  "I  never  grow  tired 
gazing  on  this  landscape.  Splendid !" 

"Splendid!"  echoed  Burr. 

A  subdued  rapture  animated  the  lady's  fea- 
tures and  imparted  fresh  vitality  of  beauty  to  her 
breathing  form.  She  advanced  to  the  edge  of  the 
water,  stepped  upon  the  ferryboat,  an  uncouth 
scow,  like  a  floating  wharf,  with  stout  railing 
upon  the  sides.  From  this  platform  she  could 
take  in  a  fuller  prospect.  The  joy  of  admiration 
possessed  her.  She  stood,  self- forgetful,  looking 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     159 

upon  the  gleaming  river  and  the  distant,  gorgeous 
Ohio  hills.  Burr,  lingering  on  the  bank,  a  few 
yards  behind,  certainly  took  an  intense  human  in- 
terest in  the  landscape,  seeing  in  the  foreground 
that  symmetrical  figure,  with  plump  arm  out- 
stretched. To  be  the  sole  spectator  of  that  un- 
studied pose  was  worth  more  than  the  Vatican 
and  all  the  galleries  in  the  world. 

"See  the  bright  sunshine,  the  soft  shadow,  the 
dim  gold  of  the  water,  and  the  misty  blue  of  the 
sky !  Those  magnificent  hills  seem  not  solid  sub- 
stance but  piled  clouds,  yellow,  and  green,  and 
scarlet.  Can  any  other  valley  in  the  world  show 
a  more  satisfactory  picture,  outlines  as  lovely, 
tints  so  delicate !" 

"Nowhere  else,  in  all  my  travels,"  murmured 
Burr,  speaking  from  his  point  of  view.  "No- 
where have  I  seen  so  much  beauty  at  a  single 
glance.  The  picture  is  unrivalled." 

"Do  you  say  this  in  earnest  or  only  to  please 
me?"  queried  the  frank  gentlewoman,  turning 
her  face  shoreward  in  time  to  see  a  pair  of 
dark  eyes  regarding  her  with  unaccountable 
ardor.  Burr  courteously  proffered  his  hand 
to  assist  her  from  the  pedestal,  the  deck  of 
the  scow.  She  accepted  his  aid,  and  lightly 
sprang  to  the  damp  sand  of  the  beach,  into  which 
her  foot  sank  deep  enough  to  print  a  pretty  track. 

"Look  out,  you  will  soil  your  shoes;  shall  I 


160        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

remove  the  mud  ?"  said  Burr,  taking  out  his  hand- 
kerchief. 

"No,  thanks;  it  is  only  clean  sand."  A  tuft  of 
soft  green  grass  furnished  a  ready  mat,  on  which 
she  wiped  her  small  foot,  not  invisible  to  Burr 
while  he  modestly  inspected  the  mussel  shells  and 
polished  pebbles  washed  ashore  by  the  plashing 
ripples.  From  the  beach  he  picked  a  bone-like 
fragment  resembling  milky  quartz.  This  he 
brought  to  the  lady,  who  had  chosen  a  mossy 
seat  on  the  trunk  of  a  fallen  sycamore. 

"It  is  a  lucky-stone,"  she  remarked.  "It  brings 
fortune." 

"I  will  send  it  to  Theodosia,"  said  the  finder, 
pocketing  the  treasure. 

A  pensive  mood  had  succeeded  the  anxious 
wife's  elation.  She  gazed  across  the  river  ex- 
pectantly. Not  a  rowboat  in  sight,  excepting  a 
skiff  lying  alongside  the  scow. 

"I  fear  he  is  having  needless  bother.  How 
miserable!  Our  slaves  are  a  burden,  not  worth 
the  trifles  they  pilfer.  I  wish  they  would  all  run 
away,  then  we  might  have  an  excuse  for  flying." 

"And  could  you  leave  your  earthly  paradise?" 

"Yes;  though  I  am  attached  to  the  island.  I 
should  regret  to  lose  the  trees,  the  river,  the  sky." 

"Earth  and  sky  stretch  far.  I  sympathize  with 
your  feeling  for  the  place.  I  told  your  husband  it 
was  like  Bunyan's  Enchanted  Ground.  Beulah, 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     161 

however,  and  the  Delectable  Mountains  lie  be- 
yond the  Enchanted  Ground." 

"More  poetry !" 

"Could  I  make  verse,  I  would  sing  of  October 
in  the  Ohio  Valley,  or  of  Indian  Summer,  which 
comes  in  November,  don't  it?" 

She  glanced  up  inquiringly.  He  held  some 
leaves  of  pink  paper  covered  with  writing,  recog- 
nizing which,  she  flushed. 

"How  did  you  come  by  that?    Did  he ?" 

She  made  a  motion  as  if  to  take  the  paper. 
Burr,  pretending  not  to  see  the  gesture,  began  to 
read  in  a  low  voice,  infusing  into  the  verse  more 
thought  and  sentiment  than  it  contained.  His 
perfect  reading  gave  the  commonplace  stanzas 
aesthetic  effect.  The  authoress  confessed  their 
merit  to  her  secret  soul. 

"I  am  vexed  that  Harman  gave  you  that.  It  is 
silly  stuff." 

"On  the  contrary,  it  is  literature.  You  don't 
know,  madam,  how  good  it  is.  I  have  a  favor  to 
beg;  allow  this  poem  to  be  printed  in  the  Port 
Folio.  I  know  the  editor,  Jo  Dennie,  and  shall 
call  and  give  him  this  copy  when  I  reach  Phila- 
delphia. You  will  not  deny  me  this  pleasure?" 

Confident  that  she  would  not  take  offense  he 
slid  the  lines  on  Indian  Summer  into  his  breast 
pocket,  to  keep  company  with  the  lucky-stone. 
The  situation  had  become  riskily  sentimental  and 
intensely  stimulating  to  Burr's  disposition  as  a 


162         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

social  trifler.  He  was  reckless  of  consequences, 
vain  of  conquest  over  any  woman,  and  scrupulous 
only  to  avoid  failure  in  his  amours.  The 
more  innocent  and  virtuous  the  victim,  the 
keener  and  more  careful  was  he  in  pursuit.  To 
entrap  unsuspecting  game  without  exciting  alarm 
he  considered  the  most  exquisite  art  of  gallantry. 
What  sport  it  was  to  entangle  this  superb  creature 
in  a  web  of  invisible  gossamer  threads ! 

"Tell  me  more  about  your  Theodosia.  Have 
you  a  picture  of  her  ?" 

The  question  and  request  smote  the  father's 
conscience  with  a  momentary  compunction. 

"I  will  tell  you  all  about  Theodosia.  I  like  to 
think  and  speak  of  her.  She  is  my  life,  my  soul, 
my  ambition,  my  joy.  Theodosia  has  no  fault 
that  I  can  see,  no  trait  which  I  do  not  admire  and 
love.  She  is " 

The  sentence  was  stopped  short  by  a  startling 
cry — a  scream.  Madam  Blennerhassett  sprang 
to  her  feet,  trembling,  and  saw  Dominick  run- 
ning towards  her.  He  fell  at  her  feet  exhausted, 
caught  at  her  gown  and  gasped : 

"Harman !  Harman  will  drown !" 

She  took  the  boy's  hand  and  made  him  stand 
up. 

"Be  a  man.  Keep  calm.  Speak  plain.  What 
is  the  matter  ?" 

"O  mother!  He  wouldn't  mind  me!  He 
pushed  a  rotten,  old  leaky  dugout  from  the  sand- 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     163 

bar  and  climbed  in,  with  a  piece  of  paddle,  and 
got  out  so  far  that  the  current  caught  him." 

"What  sandbar ?    Which  channel?" 

"This  side.    The  Ohio  side." 

The  mother  suddenly  grew  faint.  Speech  for- 
sook her  tongue.  The  trees  vanished  and  the  air 
was  a  blur,  through  which  she  saw  a  moving 
shape  that  looked  the  shadow  of  a  human  figure. 
All  this  in  an  instant.  The  swoon  passed,  the 
trees  reappeared,  the  shadow  took  the  form  of 
Aaron  Burr,  tugging  at  a  chain  which  fastened 
a  skiff  to  a  timber  of  the  scow.  A  violent  jerk 
wrenched  out  the  strong  staple  that  held  the  chain 
padlocked  to  the  ferryboat,  and  the  mother  saw 
the  colonel  leap  into  the  skiff,  seize  the  oars,  and 
launch  out  into  midstream.  This  natural  act, 
heroic  in  her  esteem,  she  saw  and  her  heart  grew 
big  with  gratitude.  She  beheld  another  sight 
which  caused  at  once  a  shock  of  hope  and  a  shud- 
der of  despair.  She  had  hurried  to  the  deck  of 
the  scow  to  get  an  unobstructed  view  of  the  river 
both  up  stream  and  down.  Dominick  at  her  side 
uttered  a  wild  cry.  "There  he  comes  now !" 

"There  he  comes!"  But  where  she  could  not 
at  first  make  out.  Dominick  pointed  to  an  ob- 
ject like  a  drifting  log  in  the  middle  of  the  swift- 
flowing  stream.  The  object — a  wooden  trough, 
not  three  yards  long — carried  one  mariner,  the 
venturesome  baby,  Harman.  The  tiny  craft  and 
its  helpless  passenger  came  into  plain  view  nearly 


1 64         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

opposite  the  landing.  Burr's  boat  was  rapidly 
nearing  the  crazy  dugout  when  the  terror- 
stricken  castaway,  catching  a  glimpse  of  his 
mother,  rashly  stood  up  and  called  "Mamma ! 
Mamma!" 

"Sit  down!    Sit  down!"  shouted  Burr. 

"Keep  still!     Sit  down!"  screamed  Dominick. 

The  distracted  mother,  to  enforce  obedience, 
added  gestures  to  cries.  The  scared  child,  further 
agitated  by  these  demonstrations,  entirely  lost 
self-control.  His  posture  caused  the  unstable 
trough  to  topple  over  and  the  lad  was  plunged 
into  the  flood.  The  frothing  mouth  of  a  wave 
swallowed  him.  No;  his  doom  was  not  sealed; 
taught  by  instinct  or  by  pluck,  the  little  fellow 
had  the  presence  of  mind  to  save  himself  by  cling- 
ing to  the  capsized  canoe.  He  held  on  tena- 
ciously, drifting  like  a  part  of  the  treacherous 
log.  Burr's  skiff  was  in  full  chase  a  few  rods  in 
the  wake.  The  mother  watched  the  race,  breath- 
less, numb,  with  all-seeing  eye.  Her  hands 
gripped  the  oaken  bar  fastened  across  that  end  of 
the  ferryboat  which  was  farthest  out  in  the  river 
and  she  stretched  forward  head  and  body,  heed- 
less of  the  down-tumbling  mass  of  her  loosened 
hair,  reckless  of  everything  but  the  fate  of  her 
boy.  Her  strained  gaze  kept  focussed  on  the 
precious  drift.  Dominick  wept  aloud. 

"What  shall  we  do?  What  shall  we  do?  Oh,  if 
papa  were  only  here !" 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     165 

"Hush !  Don't  cry.  Don't  speak.  What  could 
your  father  do?  Pray  with  all  your  soul;  pray 
to  Heaven  that  Colonel  Burr  may  save  your 
brother." 

The  aching  eyes  measured  the  diminishing  dis- 
tance between  the  two  boats.  It  seemed  to  the 
mother  possible,  for  nothing  is  impossible  to  faith, 
that  by  the  sheer  force  of  her  projected  will  she 
might  hold  the  child  back  from  death.  Even  while 
she  solaced  her  dread  with  this  fancy  the  gliding 
log  slipped  free  from  the  lad's  tired  fingers,  and 
again  the  woman  watching  from  the  ferry  gave 
up  hope.  She  shuddered,  closed  her  eyes,  and 
pressed  her  forehead  hard  against  the  oak  rail- 
ing. 

"O  my  God,  my  God!  our  darling  is  gone!" 

At  this  crisis  Dominick  believed  he  saw  what 
his  mother,  bowed  and  blinded,  did  not  see — a 
miracle  working.  Pantingly  he  cried  out 
"Mamma !"  The  only  response  to  his  call  was  a 
moan  and  the  despairing  words,  "Drowned !  My 
baby  is  drowned !" 

"No !  No !  Look,  mother !  See  there !  Colonel 
Burr  won't  let  Harman  sink!  Look!  He  has 
him  by  the  arm,  he  has  pulled  him  into  the  skiff. 
It  did  good  to  pray." 

Burr,  acting  as  any  man  would  have  done  under 
the  circumstances,  having  rescued  the  child  with- 
out danger  to  himself  and  with  little  difficulty, 
was  a  demi-god  in  the  estimation  of  the  Blenner- 


i66        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

hassett  family.  Little  Harman's  misadventure, 
the  enforced  long  swimming  in  rough  water,  the 
two  duckings  and  their  disagreeable  effects 
on  throat  and  lungs,  left  him  in  a  wretched  con- 
dition, but  by  no  means  in  need  of  a  coffin.  His 
teeth  chattered,  his  hands  were  blue,  he  whim- 
pered, but  when  Burr  landed  him  high,  if  not  dry, 
on  a  bed  of  gravel  at  the  river's  margin,  the 
drenched  youngster  mustered  heroism  enough  to 
comfort  his  mother  by  piping  out  the  assurance, 
"I'm  all  right." 

"Thank  God  you  are,  my  sweet  pet,  and 
thank  Colonel  Burr  for  saving  you,"  sobbed 
Madam  Blennerhassett,  while  she  gathered  the 
shivering  young  one  into  her  bosom,  and  almost 
extinguished  the  life  that  was  left  in  him  with 
tears  and  fondlings. 

Burr  took  off  his  coat,  and  wrapped  it  about 
the  protesting  infant,  and  carried  him  home,  a 
feat  as  glorious,  in  the  mother's  mind,  as  his  his- 
toric exploit  of  bearing  Montgomery's  body  from 
the  battlefield.  Dry  clothing,  doses  of  cordial, 
vigorous  chafing  of  body  and  limbs,  by  many  lov- 
ing hands,  soon  brought  the  patient  "round."  By 
the  time  his  father  came  home,  soon  after  the  res- 
cue, the  urchin  declared  he  was  "well"  and  would 
rather  upset  again  in  the  river  than  be  rubbed  and 
hugged  any  more. 

The  endeavors  of  Blennerhassett  to  trace  Hon- 
est Moses  proved  futile.  That  the  slave  had  es- 


THE  ENCHANTED  GROUND     167 

caped  by  water,  the  balance  of  testimony  rendered 
probable.  Abe  Sheldrake,  in  all  likelihood,  had 
coaxed  the  negro  away. 

When  night  came,  Blennerhassett,  holding  cur- 
tain council,  as  usual,  with  his  wife,  dutifully  re- 
peated to  her  what  Burr  had  revealed  of  the  Wa- 
chita  speculation,  and  asked  advice.  She  made 
up  his  mind  promptly.  "Share  the  enterprise,  if 
you  think  he  really  wishes  your  co-operation.  Do 
whatever  he  desires.  We  can  never  cancel  our 
debt  of  obligation.  We  owe  him  everything.  He 
saved  your  namesake's  life." 

Convinced  by  this  womanly  reasoning,  Har- 
man,  senior,  could  scarcely  sleep  nor  wait  till 
morning,  so  eager  was  he  to  lay  his  influence,  his 
purse  and  his  property  at  Burr's  disposal.  Be- 
fore the  clock  struck  five  he  was  out  of  bed,  and 
the  quavering  of  his  flute  disturbed  the  colonel's 
slumber.  No  sooner  was  breakfast  over  than  the 
conference  on  the  land-purchase  project  was  re- 
sumed, Madam  Blennerhassett  participating. 

"You  propose,"  said  Blennerhassett,  "to  buy 
forty  thousand  acres  for  forty  thousand  dollars, 
and  you  have  the  pledge  of  Mr.  Clarke,  of  New 
Orleans,  and  of  your  son-in-law,  Governor  Al- 
ston, that  they  will  stand  surety  for  you.  I  will 
gladly  make  a  third  with  these  gentlemen." 

The  offer  was  graciously  accepted  as  a  trust  be- 
tokening future  transactions  of  mutual  profit. 
Further  confidential  discourse  ensued,  and  it  was 


168         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

agreed  that  Mr.  Blennerhassett  should  assist  the 
cause  by  writing,  under  a  pseudonym,  a  series  of 
essays  for  the  Ohio  Gazette,  on  the  commercial 
interests  of  the  West,  indirectly  favoring  dis- 
union. 

Burr  congratulated  himself  on  the  successful 
issue  of  his  second  campaign  in  the  Enchanted 
Ground.  He  had  won  the  islanders.  Promising 
to  keep  the  Blennerhassetts  apprised  of  the  prog- 
ress of  his  plans,  he  bade  old  and  young  good- 
bye, and  departed  for  Philadelphia,  the  lucky- 
stone  in  his  breast  pocket. 


XIV. 

A  LARGESS  OF  CORONETS. 

THE  story  leaps  over  a  period  of  nine  months. 
The  winter  of  1805-6  disrobed  the  trees  on  Blen- 
nerhassett's  Island  and  spring  again  reclothed 
them.  Wild  violets  once  more  sprinkled  the 
glades  and  a  new  flowering  of  rosebushes  in  the 
garden  fronting  the  house  increased  the  fame  and 
complacency  of  Peter  Taylor.  Another  July 
plumed  the  maize,  where  the  plough  had  oblit- 
erated Fort  Byle.  At  last  came  imperial  Au- 
gust, and  with  the  glowing  month  returned 
Aaron  Burr,  his  designs  ripened,  his  enthusiasm 
culminant.  The  silent  wheelwork  of  conspiracy 
had  now  been  in  operation  for  upward  of  a 
year.  The  arch  complotter  was  of  buoyant  heart 
and  happy  tongue,  for  he  came  accompanied  by 
Theodosia,  the  loved  associate  in  whom  he  re- 
posed absolute  trust,  the  good  familiar  whom  he 
invoked  when  all  other  spirits  failed  him. 

Theodosia  made  no  enemies.  Her  beauty  at- 
tracted and  her  amiability  retained  the  devotion 
of  men,  the  friendship  of  women.  Nature  had 
lavished  upon  her  those  rare,  delicate,  elusive 
qualities  which  go  to  make  up  that  top  flower  of 
evolution,  the  woman  of  fascination,  a  creature 
indefinable,  like  poetry.  In  New  York,  city  and 


iyo        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

State,  she  was  a  reigning  belle,  caressed  by  so- 
ciety; she  had  been  named  the  social  queen  of 
South  Carolina,  under  the  title  of  la  Sainte 
Madam  Alston.  To  Theodosia,  his  only  child, 
whose  education  he  directed,  whose  opinions  he 
had  shaped,  whose  sympathies  were  always  with 
him,  right  or  wrong,  who  after  her  marriage  scarce 
less  than  before,  looked  to  him  for  guidance,  as 
he  to  her  for  implicit  approval — to  her  Burr  con- 
fided every  detail  of  his  plan  of  conquest,  every 
vaulting  anticipation  of  sovereignty.  "Be  what 
my  heart  desires  and  it  will  console  me  for  all  the 
evils  of  life.  With  a  little  more  determination 
you  will  obtain  all  that  my  ambition  or  vanity 
fondly  imagines."  In  this  strain  was  the  father 
wont  to  appeal  to  the  daughter,  by  letter.  His 
thoughts,  like  carrier  pigeons,  were  always  hom- 
ing to  her.  Hounded  by  obloquy,  accused  of  mur- 
der, when  he  fled  from  Richmond  Hill  after  the 
duel  at  Weehauken,  he  sought  security  and  ab- 
solution in  the  sanctuary  of  la  Sainte  Alston's 
house  in  Charleston.  "You  and  your  boy  will 
control  my  fate,"  he  had  exclaimed.  And  now, 
when  the  seek-no-further  hung  ruddy  on  the  or- 
chard bough,  and  the  wild  bigonia  swang  in  air 
ten  thousand  trumpets  of  red  gold,  Burr  reap- 
peared at  the  White  House  of  Blennerhassett, 
according  to  his  promise,  bringing  with  him 
Theodosia  Alston  and  her  little  son. 

"Behold,"  said  Burr  to  Madam  Blennerhassett, 


A  LARGESS  OF  CORONETS     171 

in  the  ornate  style  he  had  learned  to  use  when  ad- 
dressing her,  "this  is  my  Sheba,  to  whom  I  have 
not  told  the  half  of  your  bounty  or  the  king's  wis- 
dom. She  has  not  come  to  prove  him  with  hard 
questions,  but  to  repose  under  his  almug  trees. 
My  daughter,  Mrs.  Alston." 

"She  is  no  stranger  to  my  thoughts,"  said  the 
hostess,  embracing  and  kissing  Theodosia.  "Our 
minds  have  met  in  our  correspondence.  How  very 
young  you  look,  and  how  like  your  father.  And 
the  baby  resembles  you  both." 

"No  baby,"  chimed  in  Burr,  cheerily.  "He  has 
grown  a  big  boy,  have  you  not,  Gamp  ?  Harman 
must  take  charge  of  him  and  teach  him  to  build 
forts,  play  Indian,  and  go  buccaneering  in  a  dug- 
out." 

"What  a  funny  name!"  returned  Harman, 
partly  in  self-defense. 

"Gamp  is  his  short,  everyday  name,"  ex- 
plained the  colonel.  "It  means  grandpa.  But  on 
great  public  occasions,  when  Gamp  is  on  his  dig- 
nity, we  must  address  him  by  his  full  title,  Don 
Gampillo." 

Theodosia  valued  the  lightest  foam-bell  on  the 
wayward  surface  of  fashion,  yet  had  escaped 
what  Burr  condemned  as  "the  cursed  effects  of 
fashionable  education,"  and  it  is  needless  to  say 
that  conventional  ceremonies  were  waived  be- 
tween herself  and  the  lady  of  the  isle. 

"You  came  from  Marietta ;  were  you  agree- 
ably entertained  there?" 


172         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"They  lionized  father." 

"No;  they  'snaked'  me.  I  was  dragged  into 
service  by  main  force." 

"Father  means  that  they  insisted  on  his  drilling 
the  militia.  We  arrived  on  a  muster  day,  and 
nothing  would  do  but  he  must  prove  the  right  to 
his  rank  by  explaining  the  manual  of  arms.  There 
are  ever  so  many  old  soldiers  in  Marietta." 

"Yes,  I  drilled  the  men  as  soldiers,  in  the  after- 
noon, and  she  drilled  them  as  captives,  in  the 
evening,  at  the  ball;  a  modified  fan-drill  made 
them  march  to  her  orders.  Theodosia  danced 
with  at  least  a  dozen  distinguished  citizens." 

"How  many  wives,  widows,  spinsters  and 
school-girls  did  you  lead  up  and  down  ?"  retorted 
Theodosia. 

"I  don't  know;  I  didn't  count;  I  dance  for 
politeness,  not  for  victory.  My  daughter  has  a 
drop  of  coquette's  blood  in  her  veins;  though 
where  it  came  from  I  can't  imagine.  Do  you 
recollect,  Theodosia,  the  remark  of  the  Mayor  of 
New  York,  when  he  invited  you  to  go  on  board  a 
war  vessel  ?  'Don't  bring  any  of  your  sparks  on 
board,  for  they  have  a  magazine  and  we  should 
all  be  blown  up.'  " 

To  the  ponderous  mind  of  Mr.  Blennerhassett, 
the  feather-light  badinage  flying  back  and  forth 
between  Mrs.  Alston  and  her  sire,  smacked  of  un- 
becoming levity.  He  had  looked  up  a  topic  for 
weightier  talk. 


A  LARGESS  OF  CORONETS     173 

"Did  you  name  your  daughter,  may  I  ask, 
Colonel  Burr,  anticipating  extraordinary  rank 
for  her  ?  Had  you  in  mind  Theodosius  the  First, 
called  the  Great,  or  the  second  and  more  famous 
emperor  of  the  name?  Eudosia  was  a  Roman 
empress,  wife  of  the  second  Theodosius.  She  was 
a  poetess." 

The  man  of  facts  glanced  significantly  toward 
his  own  wife,  and  resumed : 

"Perhaps  you  had  the  name  Eudosia  vaguely 
in  your  memory  when  you  chose  the  name  Theo- 
dosia.  History  informs  us  that  Theodosius  was 
controlled  by  his  wife  and  by  his  sister  Pul- 
cheria." 

"My  Theodosia  was  so  christened,"  answered 
Burr,  "because  I  like  the  name.  It  sounds  well. 
I  like  it  the  better  now  that  you  tell  us  it  suggests 
a  possibility  of  imperial  sway.  Who  knows  what 
may  come  to  pass?" 

In  anticipation  of  the  third  advent  of  Burr  to 
the  island,  many  letters  had  been  exchanged,  and 
it  was  arranged  that,  for  some  months  at  least, 
"the  close  contriver"  of  the  vast  enterprise  in 
hand  should  remain  with  Theodosia  and  Don 
Gampillo  in  the  mansion,  the  island  being  an  elig- 
ible point  for  headquarters.  Around  this  nucleus 
the  hitherto  mobile  elements  of  his  design  should 
crystallize  into  definite  shape. 

What  had  Burr  been  doing  in  the  three-quar- 
ters of  a  year  which  had  elapsed  since  he  bade 


174        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

good-bye  to  the  Blennerhassetts  in  October?  He 
had  employed  most  of  this  time  in  Washington 
and  Philadelphia,  writing  hundreds  of  letters, 
sounding  the  President,  tampering  with  civil  and 
military  officials,  intrigueing  with  the  Brit- 
ish Minister,  in  a  word,  organizing  a  con- 
spiracy, which  he  believed  would  eventually  give 
him  a  dictator's  unlimited  command  over  a  mag- 
nificent realm.  To  Wilkinson  he  had  written  in 
cipher  many  letters,  one  of  which  ran  thus :  "The 
execution  of  our  project  is  postponed  until  De- 
cember; want  of  water  in  the  Ohio  rendered 
movement  impracticable;  other  reasons  rendered 
delay  expedient.  The  association  is  enlarged  and 
comprises  all  that  Wilkinson  could  wish.  Con- 
fidence limited  to  few.  Though  this  delay  was 
irksome,  it  will  enable  us  to  move  with  more  cer- 
tainty and  dignity.  Burr  will  be  through  the 
United  States  this  summer.  Administration 
damned,  which  Randolph  aids.  Nothing  has  been 
heard  from  the  brigadier  since  October.  Address 
Burr  at  Washington." 

The  "brigadier"  remained  in  St.  Louis  until 
late  in  August,  when  he  was  ordered  to  collect 
his  force  at  Fort  Adams,  now  Vicksburg,  and  in 
September  he  transferred  the  troops  to  Natchi- 
toches  on  the  Red  River,  to  defend  the  western 
frontier  against  threatened  invasion  by  Spaniards 
beyond  the  Sabine. 

Arlington,  ignorant  of  the  treasonable  designs 
of  Burr,  but  zealous  against  Spain  and  ambitious 


A  LARGESS  OF  CORONETS     175 

to  share  in  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  had  volun- 
teered to  make  a  tour  through  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee,  to  Natchez  and  New  Orleans,  on  busi- 
ness relating  to  the  Wachita  lands,  which  Burr 
had  purchased.  The  Virginian  started  on  his 
long  journey  early  in  autumn. 

To  Blennerhassett,  Burr  dilated  in  confidential 
privacy : 

"All  is  planned  and  ready  to  be  put  into  exe- 
cution. The  iron  is  red  on  the  anvil.  At  least 
five  hundred  men  are  pledged  to  me,  and  I  have 
on  my  memorandum  books,  the  names  of  as  many 
thousands  who  will  join  us  when  wanted.  Every 
man  is  to  receive  one  hundred  acres  of  the  Bas- 
trop  land,  besides  his  regular  pay.  All  are  to 
present  themselves  armed  and  equipped,  when 
boats  are  provided  for  their  transportation  and 
the  signal  is  given.  I  have  told  none  of  the  vol- 
unteers exactly  what  will  be  expected  of  them, 
but  all  are  devoted  to  us.  Of  prominent  persons 
now  in  our  confidence  and  ready  to  act  at  a  word 
from  me,  I  could  name  scores,  besides  yourself 
and  Governor  Alston.  Among  our  confederates 
are  Commodore  Truxton,  the  British  Minister  at 
Washington,  and  the  Catholic  Bishop  of  New  Or- 
leans." 

"Have  you  considered,"  asked  Blennerhassett, 
"what  might  be  the  condition  of  our  venture,  in 
case  General  Wilkinson  fails  to  second  your  de- 
signs against  Mexico  ?" 

"Even  that  contingency,  I  have  taken  into  ac- 


176         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

count,  though  we  do  Wilkinson  injustice  to  sup- 
pose it  possible  that  he  will  fail  us.  Our  plans  are 
excellent.  If  the  Mexican  string  should  break — 
as  it  will  not — the  Wachita  string,  which  you 
helped  to  twist,  will  send  a  sure  arrow  to  the 
mark  of  our  high  calling.  Failure,  my  dear  sir, 
is  not  possible.  The  gods  invite  to  glory  and  to 
fortune." 

In  collocutions  of  this  tenor,  Burr,  adapting 
himself  to  the  moods  of  his  sedate  ally,  unfolded 
his  purposes.  The  philosopher  heard,  acquiesced, 
and  accepted  the  part  assigned  to  him  in  the  exe- 
cution of  the  great  business.  Blennerhassett's 
temperament,  however,  was  such  as  to  check,  in 
some  degree,  the  full  flow  of  Burr's  exuberant 
speech.  It  was  always  with  constraint  and  reser- 
vation that  the  latter  communicated  himself  to  the 
head  of  the  house.  Not  so  when  in  familiar  con- 
verse with  Madam  Blennerhassett  and  Theo- 
dosia ;  uninfluenced  by  the  dampening  presence  of 
the  husband,  he  poured  out  his  innermost  cogita- 
tions, assurances,  optimistic  surmises.  The  three 
were  in  perfect  accord.  One  evening  they  were 
seated  in  the  seclusion  of  the  library.  The  chil- 
dren had  gone  to  sleep,  upstairs,  Harman  and 
Gampy  under  the  same  chintz  canopy.  Mr. 
Blennerhassett,  detained  in  Marietta  on  an  errand 
relating  to  the  affairs  of  the  Wachita  company, 
probably  would  not  reach  home  before  morning. 
Theodosia  asked  for  a  sentimental  ballad. 


A  LARGESS  OF  CORONETS     177 

"Not  a  love-song,"  said  Burr,  "but  something 
heroic — a  battle  hymn  or  a  stirring  march." 

"Will  you  both  agree  to  a  compromise  and  ac- 
cept some  half-romantic,  half-pious  verses  which 
I  composed  and  set  to  music?  The  colonel  will 
remember  the  incident  which  suggested  the  lines." 

The  harp  was  brought  in  from  the  adjoining 
room  and  Mrs.  Blennerhassett  sang  her  original 
lay  with  the  following  chorus : 

"No  longer  in  Enchanted  Ground 

Thy  lingering  feet  delay; 

Beulah's  borders  lie  beyond, 

Rise,  pilgrim,  and  away!" 

"Bravo !  Well  sung  and  well  said !"  Burr  em- 
phasized this  verdict  by  clapping  his  hands,  and 
Theodosia  joined  in  the  applause. 

"Your  allegory  is  no  enigma  to  me,"  said  she. 
"There  is  this  difference  between  us  and  Bunyan's 
pilgrim — he  left  the  Enchanted  Ground  forever 
— you  can  return  when  you  please,  and  as  often 
as  you  please.  Our  promised  land  takes  in  and 
retains  all  the  desirable  property  on  the  road  to 
the  Shining  Gates,  and  we  shall  possess  the 
Happy  City  without  crossing  that  awful  river." 

"Ah,  yes,"  quoth  Burr,  in  low,  earnest  tones, 
as  if  uttering  the  authentic  revelations  of  an 
oracle.  "This  life  we  are  sure  of.  The  part  of 
wisdom  is  to  live  as  if  to-day  were  our  only  day, 
and  yet  provide  for  an  infinite  series  of  to-mor- 
rows. Dum  vivimus  vivamus.  When  we  are  es- 


178         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

tablished  in  Eldorado,  in  my  new  Spain,  my 
Mexican  Cathay,  in  our  Woman's  Paradise, 
where  the  tree  of  knowledge  is  not  forbidden — 
then  will  you  think  the  Golden  Age  is  come  again. 
Ours  will  be  no  feeble  Republic,  no  Union  of 
States  loosely  tied  together  by  a  filament ;  we  will 
have  a  firmer  government,  a  strong,  liberal,  en- 
lightened Empire.  That  grand  old  Roman  word, 
Imperium,  pleases  my  ear.  I  will  extirpate  the 
Spanish  power  from  the  continent,  and  establish 
a  throne  at  the  old  capital  of  the  Montezumas." 

"Father!"  asked  Theodosia,  catching  fresh 
enthusiasm.  "The  Western  States  will  hasten  to 
cast  off  their  allegiance  to  the  East,  whose  rulers 
have  traduced  and  persecuted  you,  and  they  will 
claim  the  protection  of  your  banner  ?" 

"That,  my  daughter,  is  for  the  future  to  decide. 
If  the  States  west  of  the  Alleghanies,  exercising 
the  sacred  right  to  secede,  renounce  the  Union, 
and  seek  to  join  our  Empire,  we  shall  welcome 
them." 

"New  Orleans  would  be  your  capital  city,  at 
first,  would  it  not? — and  our  home  would  be 
there  and  not  in  Mexico?" 

"As  you  choose,  Theodosia,"  replied  Burr, 
caressing  his  daughter's  hand. 

"And  you  know,  my  dear  Mrs.  Blennerhas- 
sett,"  chimed  the  radiant  favorite,  "you  will  be  a 
duchess  and  your  husband  Minister  to  the  Court 
of  St.  James;  Mr.  Alston  is  Chief  Grandee  and 
Secretary  of  State." 


A  LARGESS  OF  CORONETS     179 

In  such  airy  nothings  did  the  credulous  women 
put  their  trust,  entranced  by  the  voice  of  the  san- 
guine charmer.  Their  faith  in  him  was  absolute. 
For  was  not  this  daring  leader  wise  and  powerful 
and  popular?  Had  he  not  been  Vice  President 
and  had  he  not  come  within  one  vote  of  being 
President  of  the  United  States  ?  He  was  cheated 
out  of  that  one  vote.  Why  should  he  not  establish 
an  independent  government  in  that  great  West, 
through  which  his  tour  had  been  as  the  triumphal 
progress  of  a  beloved  monarch  ? 

In  the  course  of  the  talk,  Madam  Blennerhas- 
sett  chanced  to  mention  the  name  of  Miss  Hale. 

"Ah !  Miss  Hale !"  said  Burr,  his  eyes  bright- 
ening, "I  have  often  thought  of  that  splendid 
woman  in  connection  with  our  court.  She  must 
be  approached  on  the  subject,  madam,  and  by 
you." 

Theodosia  glanced  at  her  beautiful  friend  with 
a  look  of  jealous  surprise. 

"There  are  difficulties  in  the  way,  Colonel 
Burr,"  answered  the  lady  of  the  island,  coloring 
deeply.  "Her  father,  one  of  the  most  influential 
citizens  of  Marietta,  entertains  a  violent  prejudice 
against  you." 

"We  want  nothing  to  do  with  him,  then,"  said 
Theodosia,  sharply. 

"Ah,  my  dear  child,  there  are  many  good  men 
who  do  not  know  Aaron  Burr  as  you  know  him, 
and  whose  political  antipathies  we  must  tolerate. 


i8o        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

But  his  antagonism  need  not  prevent  his  peerless 
daughter  from  accepting  the  coronet  of  a 
countess." 

"Countess !"  exclaimed  Theodosia.  "Is  this 
young  woman  a  sorceress?  Has  she  bewitched 
you  ?" 

Mrs.  Blennerhassett  glimpsed  her  own  image 
in  the  mirror.  "Perhaps  Colonel  Burr  anticipates 
raising  the  countess  to  the  throne  of  an  empire." 

"I  will  have  a  voice  in  that,  and  so  will  Gampy," 
declared  Theodosia,  with  a  merry  laugh.  "The 
succession  is  fixed." 

"You  should  become  acquainted  with  Miss 
Evaleen  Hale,  Mrs.  Alston.  Evaleen  is  my  most 
intimate  friend.  She  is  now  in  much  anxiety  on 
account  of  an  uncle  in  New  Orleans,  a  wealthy 
merchant,  who  was  stabbed  in  the  back  by  a 
drunken  Spaniard.  The  wound  caused  partial 
paralysis,  and  Richard  Hale  desires  his  niece, 
who  has  always  been  a  favorite,  to  come  and  at- 
tend him  in  his  helpless  condition.  Several  ur- 
gent letters  have  decided  her  to  make  the  tedious 
and  not  altogether  safe  journey  down  the  river  on 
a  barge,  which  is  to  start  from  Marietta  within 
six  weeks." 

"Did  I  not  say  the  gods  are  propitious?"  broke 
in  Burr ;  "Miss  Hale  is  going  our  way  at  an  op- 
portune time.  Her  rich  uncle  will  bequeath  her 
his  fortune  and  go  to  Heaven ;  she  will  take  the 
money  and  go  to  Mexico." 


XV. 

THERE  BE  LAND  RATS  AND  WATER  RATS. 

AT  some  distance  north  of  Natchez,  and  below 
the  third  Chickasaw  bluff,  near  the  bank  of  one  of 
the  bayous,  which  seem  to  run  from  rather  than 
toward  the  Mississippi,  a  band  of  desperadoes  had 
established  a  temporary  abode,  sometime  in  the 
year  1805.  They  were  an  organized  league  of 
robbers,  bandits  of  stream  and  shore,  preying  on 
the  solitary  traveller  who  rode  through  the  pines 
on  the  way  between  Natchez  and  the  North,  and 
more  frequently  surprising  the  unwary  farmer  or 
trader,  transporting  goods  to  market  by  water. 
A  number  of  flatboats  laden  with  the  plunder  of 
the  freebooters  lay  moored  close  to  the  north 
shore,  under  the  shelter  of  the  overhanging 
bushes,  at  the  distance  of  a  mile  or  two  up  this 
narrow  but  deep  creek.  Farther  up  the  bayou,  and 
a  few  rods  from  it,  in  an  obscure  hollow  and  al- 
most hidden  by  cypress  trees,  from  which  de- 
pended curtains  and  streamers  of  gray  Spanish 
moss,  stood  a  log  building,  the  rendezvous  of  the 
outlaws.  The  structure  was  low  and  long,  con- 
sisting of  three  huts  so  joined  as  to  look  like  one. 

If  a  wandering  stranger  chanced  upon  this  out- 
of-the-way  and  forbidding  lodge,  he  might  read, 


182        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

painted  on  a  board  over  the  entrance  of  the  cabin, 
the  words,  "Cacosotte's  Tavern."  Within  the 
dingy  front  cell  or  bar-room  of  the  prison-like 
shanty,  one  evening  in  the  early  part  of  Septem- 
ber, five  or  six  persons  had  assembled.  They 
were  rough  characters,  engaged  in  drinking  and 
coarse  talk.  One  of  the  company  was  a  negro. 
The  only  woman  there  was  a  big-bosomed, 
brown-visaged,  black-eyed,  savage  looking  crea- 
true,  not  destitute  of  wild  charm.  If  long  hair  be 
a  glory  to  woman,  then  was  this  dark  female 
covered  with  glory — her  glossy  mane  fell  far 
down  over  her  shoulders  and  back.  Whether  she 
was  English,  French,  Spanish  or  Indian,  or  a 
mixture  of  these,  neither  her  looks  nor  her  speech 
determined.  She  spoke  little,  and  took  small  in- 
terest in  what  others  said,  yet  seemed  to  regard 
herself  as  the  responsible  mistress  of  the  premises. 
She  had  charge  of  the  housekeeping,  such  as  it 
was,  and  dealt  out  tobacco  and  liquor.  It  ap- 
peared, however,  that  she  was  not  the  sole  mana- 
ger of  Cacosotte's  Tavern.  Cacosotte  himself 
claimed  superior  authority,  as  proprietor. 

Cacosotte  was  a  most  ill-favored  knave,  of  a 
purplish  yellow  complexion  and  mumbling 
speech.  His  comrades  called  him  "Sott"  for 
brevity,  or  "Nine  Eyes,"  not  because  he  had  nine 
eyes,  as  he  had  only  one,  but  because  he  boasted 
he  had  "gouged"  nine  enemies — that  is,  dug  out 
their  organs  of  sight  with  thumb  and  fingers. 


LAND  RATS  AND  WATER  RATS     183 

Two  of  the  select  party  were  Burke  Pierce  and 
Abe  Sheldrake.  The  least  conspicuous  individual 
in  the  room  was  a  sullen,  suspicious,  cat-footed 
man,  who  kept  his  slouch  hat  pulled  over  his  face, 
and  sat  apart,  smoking  a  pipe.  He  was  a  fresh 
recruit,  and  had  given  his  name  as  Turlipe.  Only 
one  day  had  he  been  sworn  to  the  service  of  the 
brigands,  promising  to  do  the  bidding  of  their 
chief,  Burke  Pierce. 

Expurgated  of  much  grossness  and  profan- 
ity, the  discursive  talk,  in  this  hiding  place  of 
criminals,  may  be  partially  reproduced  as  follows. 
The  chief  is  first  to  speak : 

"There  was  a  French  hunter,  who  hid  a  lot  of 
skins  in  a  clearing  close  by  Red  River,  at  a  place 
called  'Cache  la  Turlipe.'  Are  you  akin  to  that 
Turlipe?" 

The  sullen  man  shook  his  head. 

"Have  you  been  in  the  business  before  this?" 

"More  or  less.  I  have  run  on  the  river  all  my 
life ;  was  patron  on  a  Kentucky  boat." 

"  'Tain't  a  business,  it's  a  profession,"  put  in 
Nine  Eyes.  "But  the  profits  ain't  wot  they  used 
to  be,  and  the  risks  is  greater.  I  mind  the  time, 
cap,  when  Cave  in  the  Rock,  up  the  Ohio,  jest 
below  Massac,  was  the  headquarters  of  the  big- 
gest men  in  our  line.  Wilson's  boys  done  their 
wreck'n  along  by  Hurricane,  and  stored  their 
stuff  in  the  cave.  They  carried  on  the  Last  Night- 
Cap  game  when  they  could  get  hold  of  a  good  cus- 
tomer." 


1 84        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"What's  that?"  asked  Sheldrake.  Cacosotte 
grinned  and  winked  at  Pierce. 

"Your  pard's  too  green  to  plug,  cap." 

"Don't  you  Pittsburgers  drink  a  las'  snort  be- 
fore goin'  to  bed  ?  Well,  can't  you  see  the  pint  ? 
They  played  the  game  this-a-way.  Lodgers  at 
the  House  of  Natur  often  overslep  themselves — 
couldn't  wake  up.  There  was  a  sign  down  on  the 
river  bank,  jest  under  the  cave — 'Wilson's  Liquor 
Vault  and  House  for  Entertainment.'  The  durn 
fool  farmers  comin'  down  the  river  with  their 
produce  had  a  cur'osity  to  see  what  the  plague  a 
vault  was  like  and  how  Wilson's  liquor  tasted. 
They  clim  up,  got  drunk,  were  put  to  bed, 
and —  •"  Here  Nine  Eyes  went  through  a  panto- 
mime suggestive  of  throat-cutting.  The  black- 
man,  who  stuck  close  by  Sheldrake's  side,  twisted 
in  his  seat,  and  showed  the  white  of  his  eyes. 
Sott,  delighted  to  note  these  signs  of  trepidation, 
went  on  with  his  reminiscences. 

"Cap'n,  you  ric'lect  Colonel  Plug,  that  carried 
on  at  Hurricane  Island  and  the  mouth  of  Cash, 
after  Wilson  was  nabbed?  Plug  was  a  Yankee, 
and  a  hell  of  a  smart  un.  HewasfromPensylvany, 
His  real  name  was  Fluger,  but  we  called  him 
Plug  and  his  woming  Pluggie.  I  got  into  a  mis- 
understanding with  the  colonel  about  that  lady; 
colonel  allowed  her  and  me  was  too  thick,  so  me 
and  him,  begad,  had  a  rough-and-tumble,  and 


LAND  RATS  AND  WATER  RATS     185 

that's  how  I  come  by  this  here."  He  pointed  to 
his  empty  eye-socket.  "Pluggie  was  one  of  your 
furriners — jest  like  Mex,  but  not  so  pooty." 

"If  she  was  half  as  handsome  as  Mex,"  said 
Pierce,  "I  don't  wonder  that  you  gave  your  right 
eye  for  her." 

To  this  compliment  Mex  responded  by  resent- 
fully casting  the  contents  of  a  whiskey  glass  into 
Pierce's  face  and  breast,  whereupon  the  men  all 
laughed  loud. 

"You  dasn't  smoke  the  senorita,  cap,"  mum- 
bled Nine  Eyes,  aside  to  Pierce. 

"The  purtiest  wench  I  ever  seen,"  babbled 
Sheldrake,  "was  the  one  me  and  you  spied 
through  the  winder  at  Blennerhassett's,  that 
night  Aaron  Burr  and  his  pard  from  Virginy 
stopped  over.  I'll  never  forgit  how  we  snuck  up 
and  seen  them  two  sparkin'  on  the  sofy." 

"Right  you  are,  Abe;  and  I  was  a  damned  fool 
not  to  nab  her  that  day,  when  she  was  pullin' 
posies  in  the  woods " 

"She'd  of  been  a  screechin'  armful  for  you, 
Burke,  with  them  shiny  yaller  curls  of  hern  flyin' 
over  your  shoulder !" 

This  side  colloquy,  Mex  heard,  and  her  coun- 
tenance glowered.  Noiselessly  she  came  to  the 
bench  upon  which  Palafox  sat,  and  pressed  close 
to  his  side.  The  captain,  without  looking  at  her, 
mechanically  stroked  her  long  mane. 

"Fine  wimming,"  remarked  Sott,  sagely,  "is 


i86         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

like  pizen  vine,  pooty  and  clingin,'  but  pesky  dan- 
gerous; I  hadn't  better  teched  Pluggie.  A 
woming  of  your  own  is  worse  yet.  She  spiles  on 
you,  and  you  can't  sell  her  as  you  do  a  hoss  or  a 
nigger." 

Pierce  looked  at  the  darky,  who  grinned  self- 
consciously. 

"How  many  times  over  has  Abe  sold  you  since 
you  ran  away  from  the  island?" 

"Seben  times,"  answered  Honest  Moses,  and 
chuckled.  "Mistah  Sheldrake  done  sell  me  fo' 
cash,  plunk  down ;  I  fugitives  back  to  him,  and  he 
done  sell  me  agin  fo'  mo'  cash.  I  gits  mo'  money 
out  o'  speculatin'  in  dis  heah  darky,  dan  Scipio 
and  Dan'l  can  git  ahookin'  watermillions  fo'  a 
hundred  yeahs." 

Nine  Eyes  took  up  his  dropped  theme. 

"The  hoss  trade,"  said  he,  "the  hoss  trade 
don't  pay  here  as  it  did  with  Wilson's  boys. 
There's  more  risk  in  gettin'  rid  of  a  hoss  than  in 
sellin'  the  same  nigger  ten  times  over.  Say,  cap, 
is  your  new  man  onto  the  pass  words  and  signs  ?" 
The  speaker  flung  out  three  fingers  of  his  left 
hand,  to  which  signal  Pierce  responded  by  an  an- 
swering gesture.  But  the  captain  had  grown 
tired  of  Cacosotte's  conversation.  He  ordered 
Mex  to  bring  him  another  drink.  Then,  turning 
to  Sheldrake,  he  said  in  undertones : 

"Abe,  you  mind  that  trip  from  Pittsburg  to 
Massac.  Recollect  what  I  told  you  that  night? 


LAND  RATS  AND  WATER  RATS     187 

Before  many  weeks  there's  going  to  be  a  chance 
for  men  like  us  to  make  our  fortunes  as  easy  as 
floating  down  the  Mississip." 

The  jealous  eye  of  Mex  was  constantly  dart- 
ling,  and  her  ear  was  alert  to  catch  every  syllable 
Pierce  uttered.  She  paid  no  attention  to  Shel- 
drake, who  responded  guardedly  to  his  chief's 
overtures. 

"Captain,  if  you  know  a  safer  way,  I'd  like  to 
learn  it.  Now  that  the  army  is  at  Fort  Adams, 
and  soldiers  is  comin'  and  goin'  from  St.  Louis 
to  Orleans,  we  can't  do  nothin'  widout  bein'  found 
out  by  Gen'l  Wilkinson." 

"Wilkinson,"  growled  Pierce,  with  an  oath. 
"Do  you  suppose  I  am  afraid  of  his  big  names, 
'General'  and  'Governor'  ?  Jimmy  Wilkinson 
owes  me  money,  and  he  owes  me  an  apology,  and 
he's  got  to  come  down  from  his  high  horse,  or 
I'm  a  liar.  Eh  ?  Sheldrake,  did  you  ever  hear 
anybody  call  me  a  liar?  Did  you,  Mex?  Did 
you,  Sott?  ever  hear  any  one  say  Burke  Pierce 
was  a  liar  or  a  f oot-licker  ?" 

"I'd  hate  to  be  in  the  place  of  the  man  that 
'u'd  dare,"  swore  Cacosotte,  hastily.  He  had  no- 
ticed the  excessive  drinking,  with  dread  of  the 
probable  consequence. 

"I  guess  you  would  hate  to  rile  me  up  even  if 
you  was  a  great  general,  dressed  in  uniform,  and 
with  gold  epaulettes  and  buttons  all  over.  I  want 
to  say  to  you,  Abe,  and  you,  Sott,  and  you  over 


i88         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

there  smoking  your  pipe,  you  raw  recruit — I've 
got  in  my  pocket,  what  will  bring  the  brigadier  to 
terms.  Bet  your  souls  on  it!  Bet  your  black 
hair,  Mex!  Say,  you  raw  recruit,  where's  your 
pal  ?  Where's  the  feller  you  said  wanted  to  join 
us?  Open  you  jaws !" 

"He  is  down  on  the  boat,"  said  the  sullen  man, 
rising  and  emptying  his  pipe.  "I'll  go  hunt  him." 

"You'll  be  back  and  bunk  here,  or  will  you 
sleep  on  one  of  the  boats?"  asked  Cacosotte. 

"If  it's  all  the  same  to  you,  I'll  come  back  and 
bunk  here." 

The  night  was  advancing,  and  the  great  white- 
owls  were  beginning  a  dismal  hooting  in  the  cy- 
press trees.  Upon  reaching  the  place  where  the 
boats  were  moored  to  the  bushy  shore  of  the 
bayou,  Turlipe  called : 

"Hello,  are  you  there  ?" 

A  man  scrambled  up  the  bank  in  response  to 
the  call.  The  two  Spaniards  sat  upon  the 
bank  of  the  bayou,  and  held  a  long  consultation  in 
their  native  language.  It  was  eleven  o'clock 
when  Pepillo,  alias  Turlipe,  arose  to  go  back  to 
the  tavern. 

"You  needn't  come  along,  Vexeranno ;  I  can  do 
the  job  without  help.  Only  stay  here  and  wait. 
Have  the  skiff  ready  to  carry  us  down  stream  as 
fast  as  we  can  row.  I  may  come  back  any  time  in 
the  night." 

While  Pepillo,  squatting  on  the  ground  beside 


LAND  RATS  AND  WATER  RATS     189 

the  sluggish  estuary,  imparted  to  his  accomplice 
the  details  of  a  bloody  design,  Palafox  in  the 
tavern  waxed  more  and  more  violent.  He  men- 
aced an  imaginary  foe  with  clinched  fist.  Mex 
tried  to  soothe  him.  He  sat  for  a  while  in  sulky 
quiet.  Rousing  again,  he  ordered  a  candle, 
opened  a  leathern  wallet,  and  took  from  it  a  num- 
ber of  soiled  papers.  His  hand  shook. 

"Look  here,  Abe,  these  old  letters  are  worth 
more  money  than  all  our  plunder  will  fetch." 

No  response  came  from  Sheldrake,  who  had 
prudently  retired  to  the  second  compartment  of 
the  row  of  huts  opening  into  one  another.  The 
whimsical  Cacosotte  had  named  the  several 
rooms  "Hell,"  "Purgatory,"  and  "Heaven." 
Sheldrake  sought  a  sleeping  couch  in  "Purga- 
tory," whither  Honest  Moses  had  preceded  him 
to  "flop"  in  a  corner. 

Mex  stood  behind  the  captain  while  he  sat 
fumbling  over  a  timeworn  manuscript,  peering  at 
its  hieroglyphics  in  the  dim  light  of  the  candle. 
Cacosotte,  yawning,  rubbed  his  one  eye,  and  grop- 
ed his  way  to  a  slumber-rug  in  "Heaven."  Then 
Mex  put  her  brown  hand  timidly  on  the  shoulder 
of  Palafox. 

"One  in  woods — not  nab — no!  no!"  she  said, 
shaking  her  head  violently  and  frowning. 

"What  you  jabbering  about  now?  Don't 
you  see  I'm  busy?" 

"Woman  through  window — not  big  Mex — 
look  so.!" 


ipo         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

She  wrinkled  her  features,  and  shrank  down 
mimicking  a  dwarf.  The  robber  now  understand- 
ing her  speech  and  pantomime,  slapped  his  thigh, 
guffawed  exasperatingly,  and,  roughly  pushing 
the  jealous  barbarian  aside,  "No,  Mex,  she  don't 
look  like  that.  Tall,  white  as  your  teeth,  smooth 
and  purty  as  an  antelope " 

"Mex  purtier.  Mex  not  Choctaw — Castiliano. 
Look  blood."  She  nipped  her  forearm  with  sharp 
teeth,  and  crimson  drops  oozed. 

Palafox  laughed. 

The  mane  shook,  and  the  wild  eyes  glared  be- 
hind the  half-drunken  man,  who  continued  to 
fumble  his  papers.  Before  long  his  hand  fell 
heavily,  his  eyes  closed,  and  he  slept.  Mex  shook 
him  by  the  shoulders.  Partially  aroused,  he 
looked  up,  thrust  the  papers  and  the  wallet  deep 
within  a  breast  pocket,  quitted  the  bench,  and 
lay  down  on  a  pallet  in  the  corner  of  the  room. 
Mechanically  he  deposited  a  primed  pistol  under 
his  blanket,  ready  to  hand.  Soon  he  was  snoring. 

An  hour  went  by.  The  new  recruit  had  not 
returned.  Mex  scarcely  kept  her  eyes  open  where 
she  crouched,  Indian  fashion,  on  a  buffalo  robe, 
behind  the  bar.  Nine  Eyes  had  bolted  the  outer 
door  before  retiring.  Eleven  o'clock;  the  white 
owls  were  at  their  boldest,  hooting  lugubrious 
serenades  to  the  answering  wolves.  Pepillo  was 
at  the  cabin  door,  trying  the  latch.  Mex  heard 
the  sound,  got  up,  and  unfastened  the  bolts. 


LAND  RATS  AND  WATER  RATS     191 

"Sh!"  said  she,  and  giving  him  the  candle, 
pointed  to  the  back  room ;  then  drowsily  resumed 
her  nest  on  the  buffalo  robe.  Pepillo  took  the 
feeble  light ;  nodded,  but  did  not  immediately  fol- 
low directions.  He  set  the  candle  down  upon  the 
floor  in  front  of  the  bar,  so  that  its  faint  flicker, 
unobserved  by  the  woman,  made  objects  barely 
visible  in  the  room.  This  done,  he  shuffled  his 
feet  slightly  to  apprise  the  half-conscious  guardian 
of  the  ominous  house  that  he  was  obeying  her 
orders,  and  vanished  in  the  rear  darkness.  The 
dead  hush  of  sleep  now  reigned  over  the  place. 
So  it  seemed,  but  the  stealthy  Pepillo  was  wide 
awake.  He  remained  motionless,  breathless,  hid- 
den in  the  gloom  of  the  second  cabin.  At  length 
he  reappeared,  took  up  the  candle,  stood  awhile 
listening,  then  moved  cautiously  to  the  edge  of 
the  counter,  behind  which  the  woman  slept  in  her 
lair.  He  peeped  over  to  assure  himself  of  her 
complete  somnolence.  Satisfied  that  Mex  would 
not  likely  be  roused  by  any  slight  disturb- 
ance, he  stole  to  the  front  door  and  undid  the  fas- 
tenings so  softly  that  not  a  creak  of  the  bolt  slid- 
ing from  its  staple  was  heard  even  by  his  own 
quick  ear.  But  when  he  swung  the  door  open, 
providing  for  his  ready  escape,  the  hinges  gave 
out  a  complaining  sigh.  The  sound  was  faint, 
but  it  startled  Mex.  She  raised  her  drowsy  head, 
and  through  the  mass  of  sable  hair  tangling  over 
her  half-open  eyes,  peered  out  from  behind  the 


192         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

shelter  of  the  bar.  Pepillo  had  drawn  a  poignard 
and  was  tip-toeing  toward  the  sleeping  captain. 
Mex  gave  a  catamount  cry.  Palafox  started  up, 
pistol  in  hand,  none  too  soon  to  avoid  the  deadly 
blade  of  the  assassin.  "Palafox !"  This  one  word 
was  all  Pepillo  uttered.  In  the  act  of  springing 
to  stab,  he  leaped  to  his  own  death,  shot  through 
the  head.  As  he  fell,  the  poignard,  escaping  his 
relaxed  grasp,  rang  on  the  floor.  Mex,  who  tiger- 
like  had  sprung  from  her  covert,  snatched  up  the 
shiny  weapon,  and  fiercely  stabbed  it  into  Pe- 
pillo's  lifeless  breast. 

Cacosotte  and  Sheldrake,  roused  by  the  report 
of  a  pistol,  hurried  in,  staring  amazedly  at  Pala- 
fox, Mex  and  the  fallen  Spaniard. 

"Carry  that  out,"  ordered  Palafox,  nodding  to- 
ward the  body.  "Tie  a  stone  to  its  neck  and  chuck 
it  into  the  bayou."  The  two  men  obeyed.  "Get 
something,  Mex,  and  wipe  up  that  puddle,"  point- 
ing to  the  blood  on  the  floor.  "You  must  keep 
Hell  clean." 

The  wild  creature,  quivering  with  ferocious 
passions,  put  a  fondling  arm  around  the  man- 
slayer. 

"Mex  wake  captain.  Help  kill.  Mex  Cas- 
tiliano.  Nigger  wench — no! — Injun  squaw — 
no! — Your  woman." 


XVI. 

A  PATRIOT  NOT  TO  BE  TAMPERED  WITH. 

FOUR  men  on  horseback  were  nearing  the 
country  house  of  Colonel  George  Morgan,  a  vet- 
eran of  the  Revolutionary  War,  living  near  Can- 
nonsburg,  Pennsylvania.  Two  of  the  riders  were 
Colonel  Morgan's  stalwart  sons,  and  they  were 
escorting  Aaron  Burr  and  Colonel  Dupeister,  one 
of  Burr's  confederates.  The  ex-Vice-President 
rode  beside  the  elder  brother,  who  was  an  officer 
of  high  rank  in  the  militia. 

"Speaking  of  Washington  County,  General 
Morgan, — are  the  people  of  your  neighborhood 
prosperous  and  contented  ?" 

"We  are  a  community  of  farmers,  very  pros- 
perous and  hopeful.  Our  population  -is  increas- 
ing rapidly.  We  have  no  cause  for  discontent." 

"What  is  the  condition  of  the  new  college  at 
the  county  seat?  I  am  told  there  is  an  educa- 
tional awakening  among  your  young  men." 

"Yes;  we  are  proud  of  Jefferson  College;  the 
institution  is  now  in  its  fourth  year,  and  is  flour- 
ishing beyond  expectation." 

"You  call  it  Jefferson  College;  it  was  named 
for  Washington  and  Jefferson,  was  it  not?  The 
lesser  star  is  in  the  ascendant,  and  twinkles  amaz- 


194        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

ingly  now  that  the  greater  has  set.  Don't  you 
think  we  are  too  much  be-Jeffersoned  ?" 

"Thomas  Jefferson  is  an  able  man,"  was  the 
commonplace  reply,  spoken  bluntly,  and  accom- 
panied by  a  look  of  irritation  at  the  sarcastic  ques- 
tion. Burr,  conscious  of  the  disapproval  implied 
in  the  officer's  curt  answer,  managed  to  change 
partners  so  as  to  ride  abreast  of  the  younger 
brother,  Thomas,  while  Dupeister  spurred  for- 
ward and  engaged  John  in  discourse  on  stock- 
raising  and  the  prospect  of  crops.  With  Thomas, 
an  aspiring  soul,  in  the  flush  of  those  discursive 
hopes  and  speculations  which  make  ambitious 
youth  restless,  Burr  employed  his  usual  suasive 
arts,  hopeful  of  winning  a  recruit. 

"Your  brother  and  I  were  speaking  about  the 
outlook  here,  for  enterprising  citizens.  What  are 
your  pursuits?  Are  you  a  Knight  of  the  Plow?" 

"No,  sir;  not  permanently;  I  am  trying  to  make 
a  lawyer  of  myself." 

"That's  good  in  a  way,  as  a  stepping-stone. 
The  study  of  the  law  disciplines  the  mind,  but  is 
not  profitable  otherwise.  The  practice  is  a  species 
of  servitude,  often  a  servitude  to  inferiors,  for 
doubtful  reward.  Politics  is  better,  but  not  the 
best." 

"What  is  the  best?" 

"That  depends  upon  the  man.  Some  are  easily 
contented.  But  I  am  not  sure  that  contentment 
is  a  trait  of  a  noble  mind.  I  used  to  own  negro 


A  PATRIOT  195 

slaves  in  New  York.  They  were  contented.  To 
rest  satisfied  is  the  virtue  of  slaves." 

"Yes,  the  niggers  are  contented,  generally 
speaking.  You  were  about  to  say  what  you  think 
the  best  profession." 

"The  best  for  an  ignorant  African  may  be 
bondage  to  a  good  master ;  the  best  for  you  would 
be  something  more  aspiring.  I  regard  military 
life — the  profession  of  arms,  as  the  highest  and 
most  independent." 

"Not  in  times  of  peace." 

"This  is  not  a  time  of  peace,  Mr.  Morgan.  We 
are  on  the  eve  of  war  and  stupendous  conquests. 
I  speak  advisedly.  I  am  a  soldier  myself.  You 
have  heard  rumors  of  war  on  the  Sabine  ?" 

"Yes;  rumors.  The  Morgans  are  a  military 
family,  also ;  and  I  feel  fighting  blood  stir  in  me 
when  I  read  about  the  Spaniards." 

"Does  the  red  stuff  boil  ?  Your  blood  is  right. 
You  can't  help  it.  If  you,  or  your  younger 
brother — I  believe  you  have  a  brother  besides  the 
general ?" 

"Yes,  George.  My  name  is  Thomas.  They 
call  me  Tom." 

"Tom,  eh?  Well,  then,  Tom,  I  was  about  to 
say  if  you  and  your  brother  George " 

"Spur  up,  gentlemen,  we  are  leaving  you  be- 
hind," shouted  General  Morgan,  looking  back. 
"We  are  within  half  a  mile  of  father's  resi- 
dence." 


196         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"More  talk  another  time,"  said  Burr,  not  fin- 
ishing his  sentence,  and  the  pair,  urging  their 
horses  to  a  faster  gait  came  up  with  the  others. 
Just  then  the  party  met  a  robust  countryman  who 
saluted  the  Morgans,  as  he  trotted  by  on  a  skit- 
tish colt 

"What  a  fine-looking  fellow!  I  wish  I  had 
ten  thousand  just  such  vigorous  young  giants!" 

"What  would  you  do  with  them?"  the  general 
asked.  "Ten  thousand  would  form  a  large 
colony.  That  is  one  of  the  farm  hands.  Those 
are  our  barns  and  the  house  is  just  beyond." 

On  their  arrival,  Colonel  George  Morgan 
stood  on  the  porch  to  receive  his  guests.  A  well- 
preserved  old  gentleman,  he  might  have  said : 

"My  age  is  as  a  lusty  winter, 
Frosty,  but  kindly." 

His  career  had  been  eventful,  aggressive,  ven- 
turesome, and  romantic.  At  the  close  of  the 
Revolutionary  War  he  felt  aggrieved  because  of 
the  non-payment  of  claims  he  held  against  the 
Government.  Odium  attached  to  his  name  on  ac- 
count of  his  procuring  from  Spain  a  grant  of 
lands  west  of  the  Mississippi,  on  which  he 
founded  the  village  of  New  Madrid.  He  had  ex- 
pressed sympathy  for  Aaron  Burr,  whom  he  re- 
garded as  a  much-abused  statesman.  The  prevail- 
ing sentiment  among  army  men  justified  the  duel 
with  Hamilton. 


A  PATRIOT  197 

After  dinner,  the  visitors  repaired  to  the  par- 
lor, where  was  held  a  conversation  in  which  Burr 
was  the  principal  talker.  More  virulent  and  less 
discreet  than  usual,  he  indulged  in  witty  flings  at 
public  men  and  roundly  censured  the  administra- 
tion, not  aware  that  most  of  his  auditors  heard 
him  with  impatience.  Colonel  Morgan  attempted 
to  introduce  another  theme,  by  referring  to  the 
rapid  spread  of  population  westward. 

"When  I  first  went  out  West  on  my  New 
Madrid  scheme,  there  was  scarcely  a  family  be- 
tween the  Alleghanies  and  the  Ohio.  Now  we 
have  three  great  States.  We  shall  have  to  re- 
move the  National  capital  to  Pittsburg." 

"No,  never,"  said  Burr,  positively.  "In  less 
than  five  years  you  will  be  totally  divided  from 
the  Eastern  States." 

"God  forbid !  I  hope  no  such  disaster  will  come 
in  my  time." 

"Disaster  or  no  disaster,  the  Union  will  split, 
or  I  am  a  false  prophet.  How  can  it  be  other- 
wise ?  What  is  to  hold  us  together  ?  Congress  is 
a  shadow,  the  executive  a  phantom  too  thin  to  cast 
a  shadow.  With  two  hundred  armed  men  I  could 
drive  Congress,  the  President  and  Cabinet  into 
the  Potomac ;  with  five  hundred  I  could  take  New 
York  City.  Ask  Colonel  Dupeister !" 

Dupeister  nodded  an  emphatic  yes;  but  not  so 
did  bluff  John  Morgan. 


198         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"By  God,  sir,  you  couldn't  take  our  little  vil- 
lage of  Cannonsburg  with  five  hundred  men!" 

"That,  then,  is  because  you  are  at  the  head  of 
the  militia.  I  should  want  your  Cannonsburgers 
in  my  five  hundred.  But  I  talk  too  loud.  Par- 
don; let  us  get  out  of  doors;  I  would  like  to  go 
the  round  of  your  plantation  and  look  through  the 
mill.  Tom,  won't  you  oblige  us?" 

While  Tom  piloted  the  visitors  about  the  place, 
the  eldest  son  took  occasion  to  speak  a  word  of 
warning  to  the  father.  "You  may  depend  upon 
it,  Colonel  Burr  is  here  on  a  secret  errand  to  you. 
He  will  open  himself  to  you  this  night.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  some  suspicious  enterprise  in  which  he 
wants  Tom  to  join." 

"What  foolishness  you  talk,  my  son;  Aaron 
Burr  is  a  soldier,  a  loyal  man  who  fought  for  his 
country's  flag;  he  would  never  do  a  dishonorable 
thing;  certainly  he  would  not  approach  me  with 
improper  suggestions." 

"Then  my  precaution  is  needless.  Yet  have 
your  mind  prepared.  Tom  revealed  to  mother 
some  of  Burr's  words,  which,  if  seriously  meant, 
are  not  such  as  you  will  approve." 

The  subject  was  dropped,  nor  was  any  more 
said  in  the  course  of  the  afternoon  on  political 
topics.  About  nine  o'clock  the  guests  were  shown 
to  their  bedrooms  and  the  members  of  the  family 
also  retired,  except  Colonel  and  Mrs.  Morgan. 
They  were  in  the  habit  of  sitting  up  late,  the 


A  PATRIOT  199 

wife  reading  aloud  to  her  husband  in  the  quiet 
hours,  after  the  rest  of  the  family  had  retired. 
The  book  which  engaged  their  attention  was 
"Modern  Chivalry,"  the  first  novel  written  and 
published  west  of  the  Alleghanies.  They  had 
reached  that  part  of  the  story  which  describes  how 
Teague  O' Regan  was  treated  to  a  coat  of  tar  and 
feathers.  The  passage  amused  the  grizzled 
colonel,  and  he  listened  eagerly  to  the  words : 

"By  this  time  they  had  sunk  the  butt  end  of 
the  sapling  in  the  hole  dug  for  it,  and  it  stood 
erect  with  a  flag  displayed  in  the  air,  and  was 
called  a  liberty  pole.  The  bed  and  pillow-cases 
had  been  cut  open,  and  were  brought  forward. 
The  committee  seized  Teague  and  conveyed  him 
to  a  cart,  in  which  the  keg  of  tar  had  been  placed." 

"That's  correct,"  interrupted  the  veteran. 
"That's  the  way  to  do  it.  Read  on." 

Mrs.  Morgan  proceeded:  "They  stripped  him 
to  the  waist,  and,  pouring  the  tar  upon  his  naked 
body,  emptied  at  the  same  time  a  bed  of  feathers 
on  his  head,  which,  adhering  to  the  viscous  fluid, 
gave  him  the  appearance  of  a  wild  fowl  of  the 
forest." 

"Ha!  ha!  I've  seen  that  done  more  than  once; 
the  author  describes  it  well.  What  next  ?" 

The  tall  Dutch  clock  in  the  next  room, 
after  a  grumble  and  whirr,  struck  eleven,  as  if  re- 
proving the  old  couple  for  sitting  up  so  late  to 
read  a  novel.  Before  the  ringing  of  the  last  stroke 


200        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

died  away,  footsteps  were  heard  descending  the 
stairs.  Mrs.  Morgan  gave  her  husband  a  signifi- 
cant glance,  saying  in  a  low  tone,  "John  was 
right;  you  have  it  now,"  and  hurriedly  left  the 
parlor  by  a  back  door.  She  had  scarcely  made 
her  exit  when  Burr  entered,  with  a  lighted  candle 
in  his  hand. 

"What,  Colonel  Burr,  are  you  still  up?" 

"You  yourself  are  not  yet  abed.  Do  I  in- 
trude ?" 

"Oh,  no,  no,  no!  Take  a  chair.  We  have  a 
practice  of  sitting  up  to  read  after  the  children 
have  gone  to  bed.  John,  Tom,  and  George  are 
the  children.  Mrs.  Morgan  has  been  reading 
aloud  from  'Modern  Chivalry.'  " 

"A  clever  book,"  said  Burr,  "very  lively  and 
ingenious." 

"I  agree  with  you.  The  story  gives  a  true  pic- 
ture of  scenes  which  the  author  must  have  wit- 
nessed in  Pittsburg.  We  were  laughing  over  the 
account  of  Teague's  adventure  with  the  tar-and- 
feather  committee.  Poor  Teague!  He  should 
have  been  spared.  His  persecutors  were  guilty, 
and  not  he." 

"That's  the  way  of  the  world,  Colonel  Mor- 
gan. Often  the  wrong  man  is  blackened  with  the 
tar  of  calumny.  You  and  I  have  not  escaped. 
Pardon  me  for  claiming  a  few  moments'  confer- 
ence. You  have  had  much  experience,  know 


A  PATRIOT  201 

many  public  men,  and  are  a  judge  of  human  na- 
ture. I  wish  to  ask  your  counsel." 

Morgan  blinked  hard  at  the  candle,  nodding  his 
willingness  to  listen,  and  tapping  nervously  on 
the  table  with  his  middle  finger.  Burr  drew  from 
an  inside  pocket  a  long,  narrow  memorandum 
book,  written  full  of  names. 

"This  is  what  I  call  my  Roster  of  the  Faith- 
ful," he  said,  and  looked  searchingly  into  the  face 
of  the  patriarch,  whose  glum  reticence  puzzled 
him. 

"Umph !    Faithful  to  what  ?" 

"To  their  principles  and  their  friends.  I  as- 
sume that  we  know  each  other's  history  and  polit- 
ical views.  Colonel  Morgan  has  not  always  had 
justice  from  those  clothed  in  brief  authority;  you 
have  freely  exercised  your  individual  right  to  bet- 
ter your  worldly  condition;  you  were  not  acting 
inconsistently  as  a  citizen  when  you  entered  into 
perfectly  proper  contracts  with  a  foreign 
'power.'  "  The  speaker  paused,  for  he  was  aware 
of  a  bristling  antagonism  on  Morgan's  part. 

"Yes,"  grunted  the  old  gentleman,  "perfectly 
proper." 

Burr  hesitated,  more  and  more  doubtful  of  his 
ground ;  but  his  was  an  audacious  nature.  Turn- 
ing over  the  leaves  of  his  memorandum  book,  he 
asked, 


202         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Do  you  know  Mr.  Vigo,  at  Fort  Vincent,  a 
Spaniard?" 

"I  ought  to  know  him !  I  have  every  reason  to 
believe  he  was  deeply  involved  in  the  British  Con- 
spiracy of  '88,  the  object  of  which  was  to  sepa- 
rate the  States.  The  design  which  Vigo  abetted 
was  nefarious,  yes,  sir,  nefarious!  yes,  damn- 
able! The  same  disloyal  and  turbulent  spirit 
caused  the  Whiskey  Rebellion  here  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, which  General  Dave  Morgan,  General 
Neville,  and  I  crushed  out.  The  diabolic  senti- 
ment of  disunion  survives  yet ;  Pittsburg  tolerates 
a  set  of  seditious  young  men,  a  nest  of  vipers  of 
the  Vigo  species." 

The  general  checked  his  tirade,  noticing  that 
Colonel  Burr  put  the  list  of  names  into  his  pocket 
with  an  air  of  hurt  dignity. 

"You  must  excuse  me;  I  would  not  be  rude, 
but  soldiers  use  plain  terms.  You  asked  me  about 
Vigo,  and  you  have  my  opinion." 

"Your  feeling  in  regard  to  Colonel  Vigo  cer- 
tainly is  not  flattering  to  the  gentleman.  I  regard 
him  as  a  deserving  patriot.  May  you  not  be  in 
error?  Give  the  devil  his  due.  You  must  not 
tar-and-feather  the  wrong  man." 

"Yes,  yes,  yes !  I  mean  to  be  just.  The  devil 
should  have  his  due.  As  for  Vigo,  I  want  no  deal- 
ings with  him,  or  with  any  of  his  stripe.  I 
shouldn't  hesitate  to  recommend  a  coat  of  tar- 
and-feathers  and  a  ride  upon  a  fence-rail  for  him. 


A  PATRIOT  203 

And  if  I  should  ever  detect  Tom,  or  any  of  my 
boys,  even  sympathizing  in  any  attempt  to  dis- 
solve the  Union,  I  would  warm  the  pitch  for 
them  myself,  as  sure  as  there  is  a  God  Al- 
mighty." 

"Good-night,"  said  Burr,  stiffly,  and  went  up- 
stairs to  bed.  The  next  morning  he  and  Du- 
peister  rose  early,  and  were  on  the  way  to  Pitts- 
burg  before  their  host  was  well  awake.  The  sons 
arose  betimes,  however,  and  bade  the  parting 
guests  good  speed. 

After  breakfast,  Colonel  Morgan  summoned 
his  family  and  told  what  had  passed  between  him- 
self and  guest. 

"He  has  insulted  us  by  assuming  us  to  be 
traitors  at  heart.  Aaron  Burr  is  meditating  dan- 
gerous designs.  I  will  write  to  the  President." 

Tom  and  George,  impressed  by  their  father's 
stern  seriousness,  and  now  realizing  the  presum- 
ably infamous  nature  of  the  service  to  which 
temptation  might  have  lured  them,  hung  their 
heads.  The  mother  held  hers  high.  Her  jealous 
patriotism  was  alarmed  and  quickened.  No  taint 
of  disloyalty  should  infect  her  sons,  nor  should 
word  or  look  of  hers  hint  weak  misgiving  of  their 
rectitude.  She  assumed  the  Morgan  stock  incor- 
ruptible, and  spoke  proudly  as  befits  an  American 
matron.  There  was  no  tremor  in  her  voice,  no 
indecision  in  her  steady  eye,  which  flashed  the 
sentiments  uttered  by  the  tongue. 


204         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"The  brightest  name  in  the  world's  history  is 
that  of  George  Washington — the  blackest  that 

of "  She  paused,  and  her  youngest  son 

pronounced  the  detested  name,  "Benedict 
Arnold." 

"Benedict  Arnold — yes;  his  sword  was  recre- 
ant, his  heart  false.  In  all  our  annals  only  this 
one  officer's  record  is  polluted,  God  forbid  the 
rise  of  a  second  traitor.  But,  my  sons,  if  treason 
should  again  threaten  liberty,  I  know  on  which 
side  the  Morgans  will  be  found." 

So  speaking,  this  true  "Daughter  of  the  Revo- 
lution" unlocked  a  colonial  chest  containing  relics 
cherished  as  credentials  of  family  honor,  and  took 
from  it  a  banner,  tattered  and  rent  in  battles  of 
the  Revolutionary  War.  Dark  stains  consecrated 
its  stripes  and  stars. 

"This  is  my  only  brother's  blood.  My  boys 
are  patriots  by  inheritance  from  two  lines  of  an- 
cestors; you  will  always  stand  faithful  to  your 
Mother  Land  as  to  me,  your  mother." 

"Have  no  fear  for  us,  mother,"  said  Tom. 
"The  Morgans  and  the  American  flag  stand  or 
fall  together." 

"Amen !"  added  the  deep  voice  of  the  husband 
and  father. 


XVII. 

THE   BUSY   NOTE   OF   PREPARATION. 

"PEGGIN'  away,  all  hands,  eh?  I  never  heard 
such  a  swishing  of  handsaws  and  banging  of 
hammers;  you  make  more  noise  than  ten  navy 
yards.  How  you  getting  along?" 

"Not  so  briskly  as  I  could  wish;  we  are  under 
contract  to  finish  fifteen  of  these  large  batteaux, 
besides  a  sixty-foot  keelboat  by  December." 

"Sassyfax!    Fifteen?    What  for?" 

"To  carry  colonists  down  the  Mississippi  to 
the  Wachita  lands.  The  big  keel  boat  is  to  trans- 
port provisions." 

"You  don't  say!  Now,  how  many  men  will 
them  fifteen  boats  accommodate,  when  they're 
done  ?  'Bout  thirty  to  a  boat  ?" 

"Yes;  thirty  or  forty;  we  calculate  the  whole 
fleet  will  carry  five  hundred  men." 

"Five  hundred !  I'll  swan !  Do  you  think  they'll 
ever  drum  up  five  hundred  lunatics  for  such  an 
expedition  ?" 

"You'll  have  to  ask  Mr.  Blennerhassett  about 
that.  My  business  is  to  build  the  boats,  not  to 
man  them." 

"Right  you  are,  mister;  every  man  ought  to 
mind  his  own  business,  and  I'll  bet  a  pewter 


106        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

toothpick  you  understand  flat-boats,  even  if  you 
don't  know  anything  else.  I  will  speak  to  my 
friend  Mr.  B.  in  regard  to  his  end  of  the  business, 
for  I  see  him  coming.  That's  him  walking  this 
way  along  the  shore;  you  can  know  Harman  a 
mile  off  by  his  stoop.  'Fore  I  go,  I'll  take  a 
squint  at  the  extra-fine  ark  they  tell  me  you  are 
fixing  up  for  the  family — I  mean  Blennerhassett's 
own  folks.  Blame  my  buttons,  if  I  don't  always 
hate  to  pronounce  that  larruping  long  name  Blen- 
nerhassett !  Byle  is  a  heap  shorter  and  better 
name.  I  s'pose  you  reco'nize  me,  don't  you  ?  I'm 
pretty  well  known  in  these  parts.  Plutarch  is  my 
Christian  name.  Did  you  ever  read  Plutarch's 
Lives  ?  I  didn't  write  'em,  but  I'm  living  one 
of  'em.  I  ought  to  know  you,  you're  dadblamed 
face  is  familiar,  but  be  jiggered  if  I  haven't  let 
your  last  name  slip  my  mind." 

The  ship-carpenter,  to  whom  these  questions 
and  comments  were  addressed,  had  resumed  his 
work,  not  paying  any  attention  to  Mr.  Byle,  who, 
finding  his  words  unheeded,  gave  no  sign  of  dis- 
comfiture, and  went  on  talking  to  himself  in  the 
friendliest  manner. 

"Here  we  are,  five  miles  above  the  mouth  of 
Muskingum,  making  batteaux  to  go  five  million 
miles  south  of  the  jumping-off  place  of  creation ! 
Will  I  go  with  you,  friends  and  fellow-citizens? 
No,  not  by  a  jugful.  Do  you  think  Byle  is  a 
plumb  fool  ?  I  wouldn't  mind  going  on  a  voyage 


THE  NOTE  OF  PREPARATION     207 

with  the  madam  and  the  young  ones,  but  not  with 
such  an  addle-pate  as  the  near-sighted.  Nor  with 
Colonel  Hoop  Snake!  No,  there's  no  use  argu- 
ing; I  tell  you  once  for  all,  I  won't  go.  I'd  no 
more  trust  in  him  than  I'd  trust  you,  old  Muskin- 
gum,  not  to  undermine  your  banks  at  Spring 
flood.  A  felon  who  would  murder  Alexander 
Hamilton — what  crime  wouldn't  he  commit? 
I'm  consarned  sorry  for  the  family  over  on  the 
island ;  ain't  you,  neighbor  ?  Yes,  you ;  I  ask  you, 
Mr.  Jay  Bird,  singing  and  chattering  to  yourself 
on  the  willows.  How  are  you?" 

"Pretty  well,  I  thank  you,"  replied  a  stoop- 
shouldered  pedestrian,  who,  drawing  near,  had 
recognized  the  voice  without  distinctly  seeing  the 
person  of  Byle.  "How  are  you?" 

"I  was  talking  to  that  other  jay,  Mr.  B.  But 
I'd  ruther  talk  to  you.  I'm  hearty.  How's  all 
your  kith  an'  kin?  I  thought  of  coming  down  to 
the  island,  to  see  you,  but  now  you're  here,  I'll 
put  off  the  trip  a  week  or  so.  Jist  say  to  the  boys 
I'm  making  a  crossgun  for  'em.  Give  my  re- 
gards to  your  better  half,  and  I  wish  you'd  tell 
Scipio  that  the  melon  he  sent  me  was  luscious. 
I'm  here  on  a  kind  o'  important  business;  came 
clear  up  from  town  to  inquire  about  this  expedi- 
tion. You're  managing  the  colony  matters,  and 
you're  the  codger  to  give  me  the  real  facts." 

Blennerhassett,  who  had  undertaken  to  use 
every  means  in  his  power  to  induce  men  to  join 


208         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  proposed  colony,  suffered  Byle's  fraternal 
confidences  with  as  good  a  grace  as  possible,  hop- 
ing to  enlist  a  useful  factotum. 

"I  will  gladly  give  any  information  you  desire 
in  regard  to  the  Wachita  settlement,  and  our 
plans  for  the  winter." 

"I  knowed  you  would.  I  told  what-ye-call- 
him — the  boss  carpenter  so.  He  allowed  I'd  best 
ask  you  for  the  particulars,  and  it's  fair  to  you 
that  I  should.  You  pay  for  all  this  lumber  and 
hammering  and  sawing,  out  of  your  own  pocket ; 
you  have  a  right  to  answer  questions.  How  much 
is  the  whole  caboodle  going  to  cost  you  ?" 

"Perhaps  that  question  is  not  pertinent  to  our 
present  interview.  I  presume  you  wish  to  learn 
the  conditions  of  our  agreement  with  volunteers  ?" 

"That's  so ;  you  don't  presume  a  speck ;  I  wish 
to  learn  all  about  everything.  What  are  the  con- 
ditions?" 

"We  pledge  ourselves  to  pay  every  man  who 
goes  with  us  fair  wages,  and  to  give  every  one 
a  hundred  acres  of  the  Bastrop  land.  Each  man  is 
to  provide  himself  with  a  blanket,  a  good  rifle 
and  a  supply  of  ammunition." 

"What  do  you  want  with  rifles?  Do  you  ex- 
pect to  have  to  fight  ?" 

"Not  necessarily ;  all  pioneers  need  guns.  Did 
not  the  forty  men  who  settled  Marietta  bring 
rifles  and  ammunition  ?" 

"I  swow  you've  got  me,  Mr.  B.    No  man  can 


THE  NOTE  OF  PREPARATION     209 

keep  house  without  a  gun,  I  admit  that.  I'd  as 
soon  go  without  my  head.  I've  got  a  gun,  all 
right,  and  a  blanket.  What  else  ?" 

'That  is  all.  Be  ready  on  the  first  of  Decem- 
ber with  your  blanket  and  rifle,  and  we'll  provide 
for  your  other  wants." 

"Well,  that  looks  fair.  But  let  me  give  you  a 
bit  of  advice  before  you  start.  Don't  you  go  at 
all.  As  sure  as  my  name  is  Byle,  you'll  be  sorry 
for  yourself  and  Maggy,  as  you  call  her,  if  you 
do  go.  You  mustn't  git  mad  at  me,  Harman,  for 
speaking  out  plain.  I'm  friendly  to  you  and  your 
folks ;  don't  like  to  see  you  put  upon ;  and  I  con- 
sider it  my  goshdurned  duty  to  tell  you  that  this 
here  Colonel  Beelzebub  is  making  a  cussed  fool  of 
you.  I'd  have  no  hobnobbing  with  a  hoop  snake. 
Don't  trust  ary  shape  of  a  sarpent  in  your  apple- 
tree.  You  know  your  eyes  are  not  as  long-ranged 
as  some.  This  is  God's  truth  with  the  bark  off. 
He  don't  talk  to  Adam  in  the  Garden  in  our 
days,  but  I  sh'd  think  you'd  hear  what  mortal 
men  are  saying.  You're  a  readin'  man — haven't 
you  come  across  what  the  press  wrote  about  that 
scorpion  in  your  bozom  ? 

'Oh,  Aaron  Burr,  what  have  you  done? 
You've  shot  our  General  Hamilton ! 
You  stood  behind  a  bunch  of  thistles, 
And  murdered  him  with  two  horse-pistols !' 

Excuse  my  interest  in  you;  a  full  kittle  will 
bile  over.  I've  lots  and  slithers  of  United  States 


210         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

information  that  ain't  to  be  found  in  your  green 
emerald  Erin,  no  more  than  snakes  is." 

Blennerhassett  was  in  doubt  whether  to  con- 
sider himself  insulted  or  befriended.  He  had 
misgivings  concerning  Burr  and  the  colony. 
Common  sense  told  him  that  Byle  might  be  more 
than  half  right. 

"Do  you  know  anything  of  the  far  West?"  he 
asked.  "Report  gives  out  that  it  is  a  marvellous 
region." 

Byle  had  a  spice  of  mischief  in  his  composition. 
He  could  not  resist  a  humorous  impulse  to  gull 
a  credulous  foreigner. 

"Maybe  I  can  give  you  some  curious  facts  not 
generally  known.  I'm  a  sort  of  bookworm  myself. 
I've  nosed  the  Coon  Skin  Library.  Did  anybody 
ever  tell  you  of  the  Missouri  salt  mountain?  a 
mountain  of  real  salt  one  hundred  and  eighty 
miles  long,  and  forty-five  broad,  white  as  snow, 
and  glittering  in  the  sun?  No  vegetation  grows 
near  it,  but  a  river  of  brine  runs  from  its  base.  I 
have  a  chunk  of  the  salt." 

"Wonderful,  wonderful!"  ejaculated  Blenner- 
hassett. 

"Isn't  it  wonderful?  But  not  so  contrary  to 
nature  as  the  shoe-and-stocking  trees  that  grow 
at  the  headwaters  of  this  Muskingum  River." 

"That  seems  impossible — shoe-and-stocking 
trees,  did  you  say  ?" 

"It  does  sound  improbable,  I  admit,  but  seeing 


THE  NOTE  OF  PREPARATION     211 

is  believing.  I've  pulled  half-grown  shoes  off  one 
of  those  trees  with  these  hands.  I  don't  expect 
you  to  take  my  word.  I  didn't  believe  the  story 
myself  at  first,  and  can't  bring  my  mind  to  be- 
lieve what  my  own  brother  Virgil  told  me  he  had 
seen  and  tasted — the  Whiskey  Lake  in  Southern 
Kentucky." 

Gullible  as  he  was,  Blennerhassett  looked  in- 
credulous. Byle's  expression  was  serious  to 
solemnity.  His  big  blue  eyes  vouched  for  his  per- 
fect sanity. 

"Now,  I  must  go,"  said  he,  turning  away; 
"I've  a  heap  of  things  to  do  and  folks  to  see  be- 
fore sunset.  Good-bye." 

Genuine  kindness  had  prompted  Plutarch  to 
blurt  out  unsought  counsel,  and  he  hurried  away, 
congratulating  himself  on  having  discharged  an 
obligation  to  his  conscience.  His  long,  swing- 
ing strides  propelled  him  to  Marietta  in  half  an 
hour.  Near  the  court-house  he  met  a  gentleman, 
whom  he  accosted,  taking  him  cordially  by  the 
hand  and  inquiring,  "Isn't  this  Squire  George 
Hale?" 

"George  Hale  is  my  name,"  returned  the  gen- 
tleman, reservedly,  and  disengaging  his  fingers 
from  the  strong  grip  of  the  tall  man. 

"Yes,  you  are  the  individual  I  took  you  to  be, 
and  no  mistake.  I  seldom  forget  faces,  though 
I  get  names  crooked  now  and  then.  Your  name 
and  your  corporosity  go  together;  you  look  hale 


212         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

and  hearty !  I  never  was  picked  up  but  once,  in 
shaking  hands  with  a  stranger,  but  that  once  was 
enough.  Before  I  knew  what  I  was  about  I  shook 
hands,  last  May  was  a  year  ago,  with — I  vow  I'm 
ashamed  to  tell  you  who  with.  Are  you  going 
home,  Mr.  Hale?  Is  Miss  Evaleen  in  town  now? 
The  first  time  I  met  your  daughter  she  was  down 
at  Blennerhassett's !  The  last  time  was  here  in 
Marietta,  out  by  the  big  mound.  Is  she  as  well 
as  usual  ?" 

Mr.  Hale  stared  in  blank  bewilderment.  He 
first  surmised  that  an  escaped  lunatic  was  face  to 
face  with  him.  Yet  there  was  coherence  in  the 
strange  man's  speech,  and  nothing  wild  in  his 
looks.  In  fact,  Mr.  Hale  had  frequently  seen  the 
gaunt,  gigantic  figure  of  Plutarch  dodging  about 
the  town,  and  had  heard  his  name  spoken  as  that 
of  a  very  eccentric  person.  Like  everybody  else 
who  was  brought  within  speaking  distance  of  the 
oddity,  the  sedate  New  Englander  was  at  a  loss 
how  to  behave  toward  him.  Plutarch  was  never  at 
a  loss.  Detecting  a  hair  lodged  on  the  squire's 
shoulder,  he  picked  it  off,  and  winked. 

"A  pretty  long  hair,  old  man,  to  be  found  on 
your  collar.  I  hope  it  came  from  one  of  your  own 
women-folks.  What's  the  last  word  from  Cap- 
tain Danvers  ?  When  is  that  knot  to  be  tied,  any- 
how? If  you'll  give  me  an  invite,  I'll  be  there, 
sure.  I  told  young  Burlington — no,  I  mean  Ar- 
lington— all  the  facts  just  as  they  are." 


THE  NOTE  OF  PREPARATION     213 

"You  did?    What  facts?    Who  is  Arlington?" 

"Don't  you  know  Arlington,  Squire  Hale?  Is 
it  possible  ?  Well,  well,  well !  Now  that  explains 
a  good  deal.  These  young  folks  are  as  sly  as  a 
gallinipper.  You  have  to  keep  your  eye  skinned 
to  see  all  that  goes  on,  by  land  and  river,  and  es- 
pecially on  islands.  There's  not  a  bit  of  criticism 
to  be  made  on  Evaleen's  conduct,  nor  on  Arling- 
ton's. He  couldn't  help  himself,  no  more  than  a 
fly  in  a  honey-pot.  The  minute  he  saw  your  gal, 
he  fell  slap  dab  in  love  with  her.  The  poor  feller 
was  nigh  about  dead  for  love  the  day  we  sot  on 
the  summit." 

"What  rigmarole  is  this  ?  You  sot  on  the  sum- 
mit? Arlington?  My  daughter?  Tell  me  sim- 
ply and  briefly  what  you  mean." 

"I  mean  briefly  and  simply,  Mr.  Chester  Ar- 
lington, of  Virginia,  came  here  to  spark  Evaleen ; 
he  as  good  as  told  me  so ;  that  is,  I  am  satisfied 
he  did;  it  stands  to  reason  and  the  nature  of  a 
gentleman!  Secondly,  I  told  him  it  was  no  go. 
I  said  to  Chester,  'You  must  hunt  up  another 
sweetheart,  for  Leeny  Hale  is  engaged.  She  is 
going  to  be  married,'  says  I,  'to  Captain  Warren 
P.  Danvers.'  " 

"You  told  this  Mr.  Arlington  that  my  daughter 
was  engaged  to  marry  Captain  Danvers  ?" 

"Yes;  that's  what  I  told  him.  Isn't  that  so? 
Of  course,  she  couldn't  marry  'em  both  at  once, 
and  I  wanted  to  put  Chester  out  of  misery.  That's 


2i4         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

why  I  broke  it  to  him.  You  may  tell  the  be- 
trothed, as  you  call  it,  I  mean  your  daughter,  as 
much  or  as  little  as  you  please ;  but  if  that  young 
woman  had  saw  how  that  young  man  looked 
when  I  told  him  he  couldn't  have  her,  I  do  be- 
lieve she  might  have  shook  Danvers  and  took 
Arlington.  That's  what  I  had  to  say  to  you, 
Squire  Hale,  and  now  I've  said  it,  I  feel  easier. 
I  must  be  going.  Mighty  fine  weather,  this! 
Good-bye !  Gals  will  fool  their  daddies." 

Away  went  Byle,  about  everybody's  business, 
and  home  hastened  George  Hale,  not  so  much  to 
tell  Evaleen  what  he  had  heard  concerning  her- 
self, as  to  learn  from  her  the  solution  of  the  mys- 
tery of  Arlington,  Danvers  and  "the  summit." 

Day  after  day,  and  week  after  week,  the  ship- 
wrights plied  their  tasks  with  saw  and  hammer, 
with  adz  and  mallet,  constructing  the  vessels  to 
convey  men  and  goods  down  the  river  in  the  Win- 
ter. A  large  purchase  of  provisions,  ham,  bacon, 
flour,  whiskey,  was  made  in  advance,  and  various 
accoutrements  were  secretly  collected  in  anticipa- 
tion of  Burr's  enterprise. 

New  gods  had  been  set  up  in  the  sequestered 
home  of  the  Blennerhassetts.  The  Lares  and 
Penates  there  honored  were  not  now  the  images 
of  Emmett  and  Agnew,  not  the  names  of  dead 
ancestors,  but  the  living  spirit  and  example  of 
Napoleon  and  the  magic  word  Empire.  No 
longer  could  the  harpsichord  charm  or  the 


THE  NOTE  OF  PREPARATION     215 

strings  of  the  viol  allure.  The  music-books 
gathered  dust  in  the  alcove,  and  the  "Iliad" 
stood  unopened  on  the  shelf.  Instead  of 
rambling  in  the  woods,  or  strolling  on  the 
banks  of  the  Ohio,  or  galloping  to  Marietta 
clad  in  a  crimson  cloak,  or  giving  banquets  or 
balls  to  entertain  the  admiring  gentry  of  Belpre, 
Madam  Blennerhassett  spent  busy  days  and 
anxious  nights  working  and  planning  for  a  po- 
tential greatness,  a  prospective  high  emprise.  A 
change  had  come  over  the  spirit  of  her  dream. 
She  had  ceased  to  feel  an  interest  in  domestic 
duties  and  pleasures;  she  neglected  the  simple 
cares  of  the  plantation,  took  no  satisfaction  in 
binding  up  the  bruises  of  her  slaves,  or  curing 
their  ailments  with  medicine  and  kindness;  the 
talk  of  Peter  Taylor  about  flowers  and  fruit,  or  of 
Thomas  Neal,  concerning  pet  heifers,  and  new 
milk  and  butter  and  cheese,  became  tedious ;  the 
jokes  and  laughter  of  the  farm-hands  and  dairy- 
maids she  heard  with  irritation;  nor  could  the 
prattle  and  play  of  her  romping  boys  divert  her 
mind  from  the  one  absorbing  theme — the  descent 
of  the  Mississippi,  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  the 
creation  of  a  New  World.  In  close  daily  com- 
munion with  Theodosia,  she  dwelt  not  in  a  white 
frame  house  on  a  woody  island  of  the  Ohio  River, 
not  in  the  present;  but  in  the  future,  and  in  a 
marble  palace  in  the  splendid  domain  of  Aaron  I. 
The  two  enthusiastic  women,  allied  in  a  common 


216        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

cause,  inspired  alike  by  the  experience  of  wifehood 
and  maternity,  similarly  ambitious,  passionate  and 
imaginative,  reciprocated  each  other's  sentiments 
and  strengthened  each  other's  resolution. 

The  summer  flew  away.  In  October.  Governor 
Alston  visited  the  island.  Many  consultations 
were  held  in  the  gilded  parlor  and  in  the  hushed 
library :  more  plans  were  divulged,  more  pledges 
given — and  Burr  departed  never  again  to  cross  the 
threshold  of  the  house  on  the  island.  Theodosia 
and  her  husband  and  child  went  to  Lexington, 
Kentucky,  whither  they  were  accompanied  by 
Blennerhassett. 

Left  alone  in  the  great  ghost-white  house,  its 
mistress  wandered  from  room  to  room,  restless 
and  melancholy.  The  boys  were  at  play  on  the 
lawn :  she  could  hear  their  mirthful  shouts.  She 
felt  a  vague  longing,  like  homesickness,  and  yet 
she  was  at  home.  Wearily  she  sat  down  in  her 
husband's  study  chair  in  the  quiet  library.  She 
glanced  round  at  the  books,  the  apparatus,  the 
musical  instruments.  Everything  presented  an 
unnatural  aspect.  Startled  by  the  snapping  of  a 
string  on  the  untouched  violincello.  she  uttered  an 
involuntary  exclamation,  rose,  and  went  up  close 
to  the  portrait  of  her  husband.  But  owing  to  the 
dimness  of  the  light  or  the  sadness  of  her  mood, 
the  features,  instead  of  smiling,  seemed  to  regard 
her  with  a  mournful  gaze.  A  sense  of  desolation 
overwhelmed  her.  Endeavoring  once  more  to  fly 


THE  NOTE  OF  PREPARATION     217 

from  herself,  she  called  her  children.  They  came, 
and  she  kissed  them,  putting  an  arm  around  each. 

"Dominick,  do  you  want  to  go  away,  away  to 
Mexico,  and  become  rich  and  great  ?" 

"No,  no,  mamma;  I  want  to  live  here  forever 
with  you  and  papa." 

"We  both  do,"  iterated  Harman.  "We  both 
do." 

"Colonel  Burr  will  be  there  to  take  care  of  us 
all.  He  saved  your  life,  Harman,  and  he  loves 
you,  I  am  sure." 

"Mamma,  he  loves  you,  but  he  don't  love  papa." 

The  mother  blushed,  and  a  big  tear  rolled  down 
her  cheek. 


XVIII. 

THE  VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE. 

GEORGE  HALE,  yielding  to  the  importuning  let- 
ters of  his  brother  Richard,  consented  that  Eva- 
leen  should  risk  the  peril  of  a  voyage  to  New  Or- 
leans. Luckily  the  young  lady  was  to  have  trav- 
elling companions.  One  of  her  uncle's  letters 
contained  this  passage :  "Ask  your  father  to  hunt 
up  my  old-time  friend,  Dr.  Eloy  Deville,  to  whose 
care  and  medical  skill  I  owe  my  life.  He  still 
lives,  I  believe,  in  Gallipolis.  Tell  dear  old 
Frenchy  and  little  Lucrece — I  suppose  she  is  now 
almost  grown — that  I  have  unearthed  family 
facts  much  to  their  worldly  advantage.  They 
must  come  to  this  city,  to  the  French  quarter.  My 
discoveries  are  astounding,  but  credible.  Eloy 
may  inherit  a  fortune.  I  will  see  that  he  loses 
nothing.  My  advice  is,  come  at  once.  The  doc- 
tor and  his  daughter  will  be  good  company  for 
you  on  your  voyage." 

Eloy  was  easily  induced  to  do  as  his  friend  and 
former  patient  advised. 

"Oui,  monsieur,  certainment  shall  we  depart 
most  glad  from  ze  log  hut.  Lucrece,  ma  chere 
fille,  dance  for  ze  delight!  We  shall,  on  ze  to- 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     219 

morrow,  us  depart,  on  ze  joli  bateau  with  ze 
mademoiselle;  quick  shall  run  ze  stream,  row  ze 
oar,  fly  ze  sail — we  come  right  away  to  ze  excel- 
lent long  friend  of  your  father.  Ze  honor  and  ze 
felicity  shall  be  to  me  to  serve  mademoiselle  for 
ze  sake  of  her  divine  uncle,  for  ze  own  beautiful 
sake  of  ze  fair  angel." 

The  Buckeye,  on  which  Evaleen  and  her  friends 
took  passage,  carried  a  cargo  for  the  Southern 
market.  The  crew  numbered  eight  picked  men, 
commanded  by  Eli  Winslow,  a  talkative  Ver- 
monter,  with  none  too  much  experience  on  the 
Mississippi,  but  overstocked  with  self-confidence. 

Such  clothing  and  household  goods  as  he 
thought  essential  to  take  along  for  himself  and 
daughter,  Doctor  Deville  packed  in  old  trunks,  or 
tied  up  in  bundles,  all  of  which  were  deposited  on 
the  river  bank,  six  hours  ahead  of  time.  The  lug- 
gage included  a  basket  of  Bordeaux,  a  surgeon's 
case,  a  chest  of  medicine,  and  a  violin  in  a  green 
bag.  At  last  the  barge  hove  in  sight,  announced 
by  the  echoing  of  the  boat  horn.  The  fidgety 
Frenchman  gave  Lucrece  a  kiss  and  almost  dislo- 
cated her  arm  by  pulling  her  after  him  to  the  land- 
ing. A  long  half  hour  he  had  yet  to  wait  before 
The  Buckeye  was  made  fast  to  the  posts  on  the 
bank  and  Eloy  was  helped  on  board,  still  holding 
fast  to  his  chere  fille.  It  would  require  a  volume 
to  report  the  conversation  which  enlivened  the 
many  days'  journey  down  the  Ohio  and  the  Mis- 


220        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sissippi.  The  doctor  chirruped  constantly.  He 
knew  a  little  of  everything,  and  talked  much  of 
nothing,  very  amusingly.  Often  he  sang  French 
songs,  often  played  dance  tunes  on  the  violin, 
now  and  then  took  an  enlivening  taste  of  wine. 

Past  Cincinnati,  past  Louisville  and  the  Falls 
of  the  Ohio,  past  Shawnee  Town,  past  Fort  Mas- 
sac,  and  Diamond  Island  and  Battery  Rock,  the 
vessel  moved  slowly  and  steadily  along.  The 
voyagers  were  told  that  the  lower  river  was  in- 
fested still  by  wreckers,  one  scene  of  whose  fre- 
quent depredations  was  Wolf  Island.  Captain 
Winslow  discoursed  much  on  the  state  of  West- 
ern commerce,  and  the  dangers  which  menaced 
travel. 

"A  great  part,"  said  he,  "of  the  Territory  of 
Mississippi,  stretching  from  Tennessee  to 
Natchez,  is  unbroken  forest,  inhabited  by  Indians, 
and  infested  with  wolves  and  panthers.  We  shall 
see  no  sign  of  civilization  on  the  eastern  shore 
until  after  we  have  skirted  six  hundred  miles  of 
waste,  howling  wilderness." 

At  length  they  came  to  where  the  Ohio  is 
merged  and  lost  in  the  Mississippi.  The  turbid 
onhurrying  volume  of  mighty  waters  heaved 
and  foamed,  as  if  troubled  by  furious,  disturbing 
forces  working  below.  The  boat  shuddered  and 
its  strong  joints  groaned  in  the  strenuous  hug  of 
the  river. 

"Hereafter  we  can  proceed  only  by  daylight," 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     221 

said  Winslow.  "We  shall  have  many  dangers  to 
contend  with — a  succession  of  chutes,  races, 
chains,  and  cypress  bends.  You  will  see  no  end  of 
this  gloomy  forest.  There  are  plenty  of  rattle- 
snakes, bears,  and  catamounts  in  those  jungles, 
doctor." 

"Par  bleu!  Ze  catamount  shall  stay  in  ze  jun- 
gle and  delight  heself  with  her  family  amiable. 
We  not  shall  invite  heem  to  tea.  Are  no  inhabi- 
tants in  this  wilderness?" 

"A  few  whites  and  some  Indians.  See  those 
squaws  digging  wild  potatoes  for  food." 

"Do  many  boats  go  to  New  Orleans?"  asked 
Miss  Hale. 

"Yes,  ma'am ;  all  sorts  from  a  birch  canoe  to  a 
full-rigged  ship.  Hundreds  are  lost.  We  are 
now  coming  to  a  wreck-heap." 

The  passengers  saw  an  immense  huddle  of 
drifted  logs,  and  the  broken  timbers  of  shattered 
boats,  and  entire  scows,  rotting,  half-submerged, 
or  warping  high  and  dry  on  top  of  the  hill  of  con- 
fused ruin.  The  sight  of  these  hulks,  abandoned 
to  the  grinding  eddies,  added  a  sense  of  dread  to 
the  weary  anxiety  already  felt  by  the  girls.  The 
progress  down  the  Ohio  had  been  tedious;  how 
much  more  so  the  interminable  windings  on  the 
Mississippi,  and  the  long,  lonesome  nights,  made 
sleepless  by  the  cries  of  birds  that  flit  in  darkness, 
and  by  the  howls  of  wild  beasts.  Evaleen's  noc- 
turnal fears,  when  the  barge  lay  moored,  were  not 


222         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

so  well  founded  as  were  the  apprehensions  which 
daylight  renewed,  of  disaster  on  the  treacherous 
flood.  The  more  she  learned  of  the  river,  the  more 
she  realized  the  risks  of  each  day's  navigation. 

"Young  ladies,  see!  That  is  a  sawyer;  an 
ugly  one,  sticking  its  sharp  horn  up  to  hook  us. 
I  don't  mind  a  danger  which  shows  above  water; 
but  your  sleeping  sawyer  is  the  mischief  to  be 
dreaded." 

"What's  a  sleeping  sawyer?" 

"If  I  could  point  out  the  nasty  thing,  I 
wouldn't  dread  it ;  a  sleeping  sawyer  does  its  saw- 
ing under  the  surface.  We  are  liable  to  run  on  to 
the  point  of  one  any  second." 

"Mercy!  Do  you  think  we  are  coming  on  a 
sleeping  sawyer  now  ?"  asked  Evaleen. 

The  captain  hoped  not,  and  directed  attention 
to  another  phenomenon  not  of  a  nature  to  induce 
feelings  of  security. 

"What  do  you  see  away  down  the  river  ?" 

"Do  you  mean  that  low  island  ?" 

"Yes,  an  island  and  not  an  island.  Wait  until 
we  drift  nearer.  You  will  see  river  moss  and 
rank  water  plants  growing  over  the  surface,  but 
it  is  not  part  of  the  firm  land;  it  is  a  wooden 
island." 

"How?    A  wooden  island?" 

"Just  so.  We  shall  see  many  such.  Logs  and 
all  kinds  of  drift  lodge  against  the  upper  part  of  a 
stable  island  or  peninsula,  and  the  accumulated 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     223 

mass  grows  into  a  great  raft  matted  together  by 
roots  and  vines.  The  whole  thing,  driven  by 
winds  or  currents,  sometimes  swings  free  from 
its  anchorage  and  drifts  away.  Then  it  is  called 
a 'floating,  or  wandering  island." 

Lucrece,  who  had  been  sweeping  the  circle  of 
the  horizon  with  the  seaman's  glass,  caught  far  to 
the  northward,  the  glimpse  of  a  sail. 

"I  see  away  up  the  river  what  looks  like  a  leetle 
black  house,  with  a  white  thing  on  the  roof." 

"That  boat,"  said  Winslow,  "is  miles  and  miles 
behind  us;  it  is  above  the  second  bend.  Let  me 
look. — She  carries  a  square  sail,  amidships,  as  we 
do,  but  she  is  not  a  barge.  Stop,  I  know  what 
she  is — there's  a  flag  at  the  top  of  the  mast — she 
must  be  a  government  transport,  coming  with 
troops  for  Fort  Adams  or  the  Natchitoches 
country." 

Lucrece  caught  a  quick  breath  and  asked 
eagerly : 

"Troops  from  St.  Louis,  think  you?" 

"Most  likely,  miss." 

Evaleen's  interest  was  also  excited,  but  she 
kept  silent,  and  soon  slipped  away  alone  into  her 
cabin.  The  French  maiden  remained  on  deck  a 
long  time,  watching  the  transport,  whenever  she 
could  bring  it  within  the  field  of  vision. 

"The  soldiers,  will  they  perhaps  overtake  us?" 
she  inquired,  turning  her  brilliant  big  eyes  to 
Winslow. 


224         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Like  enough ;  but  you  needn't  be  afraid  of  the 
reg'lars;  they  won't  molest  us." 

"I  haf  no  fear;  I  haf  curiositee." 

At  last  Lucrece  returned  the  glass  to  the  cap- 
tain, thanked  him,  and  slowly  sought  her  com- 
panion, keeping  a  small,  brown  hand  just  over  her 
heart  to  make  sure  that  a  precious  letter 
which  she  carried  there  was  still  safe  and  in  its 
right  place. 

Lucrece  and  Evaleen  had  readily  fallen  into 
sympathetic  relations.  Days  of  chattering  on 
deck,  and  nights  of  prattle  before  falling  asleep 
on  the  same  couch,  left  few  girlish  secrets  unex- 
changed.  The  scant  experience  of  Lucrece's  iso- 
lated life  had  brought  her  only  a  small  stock  of 
personal  doings  or  feelings  to  disclose.  Yet,  up 
to  the  hour  of  her  coming  into  the  private  cabin, 
after  seeing  the  government  transport,  she  had 
not  told  the  very  thing  which  she  knew  would 
most  surely  enlist  the  sympathy  of  Evaleen  or  of 
any  other  woman. 

Now,  Lucrece  was  moved  to  pour  out  her  sim- 
ple heart  in  maiden  confidence  to  Miss  Hale,  her 
only  female  friend. 

"Ah,  ma  sweet  Evaleen,  I  no  more  shall  be  able 
to  hide  my  feeling — I  tell  you,  right  as  it  hap- 
pen, the  beginning  and  the  end  of  my  story,  that 
no  person  shall  know. 

"One  day,  at  Gallipolis,  a  young  soldier  there 
stopped.  He  came  in  the  mail-boat,  and  the  rea- 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     225 

son  he  entered  our  cottage  was  one  of  the  boat- 
men had  been  hurt  by  accident — his  arm  crushed, 
poor  man — and  as  papa  is  known  by  all  as  a  sur- 
geon, the  young  officer — he  was  capitaine — he 
run  up  the  hill  to  our  log  cabin.  I  tell  him  mon 
pere,  alas,  was  not  at  home — mon  pere  had  gone 
that  day  to  Belpre.  The  very  handsome  face — 
how  shall  I  say  ? — was  upset  by  disappointment — 
teach  me  if  I  use  the  wrong  word.  I  saw  the  sad 
regret  and  was  grieved  also.  He  looked  in  my 
eyes  with  a  kind  pity  for  the  hurt  boatman,  and 
quickly  I  spoke.  'Monsieur,  I,  also,  can  use  the 
instruments  of  mon  pere,  and  wrap  the  bandages. 
Always  I  assist.  Mon  pere  names  me  his  aide.  I 
will  go  and  dress  the  hurt  arm.'  The  young  man 
did  not  say  no,  but  his  eyes  were  full  of  doubt, 
very  much  in  doubt  of  me.  I  took  the  surgeon's 
case,  and  we  made  haste  to  the  mail-boat.  How 
they  all  did  stare  and  stare!  I  had  handled  the 
sharp  knives,  and  my  father  had  taught  me  per- 
fection. Instantly  I  did  the  operation  neces- 
saire,  the  brave  captain  much  helping.  Then  the 
gallant  soldier  brought  me  home,  carrying  the 
case,  and,  oh,  my  Evaleen,  how  shall  I  say,  he 
kissed  my  lips,  say  'Forgive,'  and  went  away.  I 
have  see  him  no  more." 

As  Evaleen  listened  to  these  naive  sentences, 
her  expression  grew  more  and  more  troubled. 

"Kissed  you !" 

Lucrece  nodded. 


226         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"At  Gallipolis  ?  A  captain  ?  Do  you  know  his 
name?" 

"His  name — oh,  yes,  I  know  his  name — War- 
ren Danvers." 

Evaleen's  lip  quivered.  A  shade  of  anxiety 
and  pain  saddened  her  countenance. 

"I  should  resent  the  insult,"  she  said  coldly. 
"Have  you  told  me  all?" 

"No,  my  sweetest  sister;  I  confess  to  you  now 
my  great,  precious  secret.  Alas,  I  give  my  heart 
that  day.  I  love  that  only  man." 

"You  love  him?  This  is  the  silliest  tale  I  ever 
heard.  Let  us  go  out  and  breathe  the  fresh  air. 
Absurd!  Do  you  fancy  he  loves  you?" 

"He  has  written  me  one  letter  of  love — here  it 
is." 

Lucrece  drew  a  tiny  note  from  her  bosom  and 
went  with  Evaleen  near  the  prow  of  the  barge  to 
take  the  evening  breeze.  The  first  pale  stars  were 
barely  visible  in  the  clear  sky. 

Lucrece  unfolded  the  missive,  and  held  it  up  in 
the  dim  light,  but  she  did  not  know  that  tears 
were  blinding  Evaleen's  eyes. 

"Sometime,  Lucrece,  but  not  now,  I  will  tell 
you  a  story  of  foolish  love  to  match  your  own. 
We  are  all  alike,  and  we  all  hope  against  reason." 

"No;  there  is  no  reason,  no  wisdom,  no  prud- 
ence—only love.  Yes,  yes,  something  more,  as  I 
see  the  only  star  that  shines  there  above  the  dark 
trees,  and  seems  to  die  and  live  again  while  we 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     227 

look  at  it.  I  see  the  hope  that  my  soldier  loves 
me  and  will  be  faithful." 

On  the  sixth  day  after  leaving  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio,  the  boat  had  passed  the  third  Chickasaw 
Bluff,  and  was  within  fifty  miles  of  Natchez,  when 
blue-black  clouds  suddenly  overcast  the  sky,  and  a 
violent  storm  burst  upon  the  river.  Buffeted  by 
opposing  forces,  the  Mississippi  soon  began  to 
fume  and  rage  like  a  wrathful  brute.  The  three 
passengers  were  on  deck. 

"How  wicked  the  river  looks  under  this  indigo 
sky!"  said  Evaleen.  "I  wish  we  were  ashore. 
There  must  be  extreme  danger  in  such  a  high 
wind." 

"There  is  always  danger  on  the  Mississippi,  but 
such  gusts  soon  blow  over.  We  are  safer  in  mid- 
stream than  near  shore.  I'll  manage  the  boat, 
never  fear.  You  and  Miss  Deville  had  best  go 
into  the  cabin  before  the  rain  comes  upon  us." 

The  girls  had  scarcely  found  shelter  when  a 
volley  of  big  drops  swept,  rattling,  over  the  deck. 
Soon  the  waves  rose  so  high  as  to  bury  the  run- 
ning board  of  the  barge.  The  cotton- wood  trees 
along  the  shore  were  twisted  and  torn  up;  blind- 
ing spray  and  rain  filled  the  dark  air.  The  cap- 
tain saw  his  vessel  in  danger  of  drifting  upon  a 
wooden  island,  and  could  not  decide  whether  to 
steer  to  the  right  or  to  the  left  of  the  obstruction. 
Voices  from  the  eastern  bank  of  the  river  were 
heard,  shouting  through  the  storm. 


228         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Sheer  clear  of  the  island!  This  is  the  safe 
channel!  Row  in  close  to  this  side!  There's  a 
bayou  here !" 

Winslow  could  not  see  the  men  who  gave  this 
warning,  but  he  was  relieved.  The  halloo  and 
answering  shouts  were  heard  by  Lucrece  and 
Evaleen.  Regardless  of  advice,  and  wind,  and 
rain,  they  returned  to  deck.  The  men,  unable  to 
steady  the  barge,  lost  presence  of  mind;  the  cap- 
tain knew  not  what  orders  to  give,  but  finally 
commanded, 

"Lower  the  yawl,  we  will  try  to  make  fast  to  a 
tree.  Quick!  Steady!  Four  of  you  jump  in! 
John,  take  charge  of  the  cordelle;  can  you  row, 
doctor  ?  We  need  help." 

"Certainment.  Do  not  fear,  my  two  brave 
daughters ;  this  good  shower  shall  refresh  ze  at- 
mosphere." 

He  sprang  into  the  yawl  with  the  others,  and 
seized  the  oars.  The  barge  was  driven  and 
sucked  toward  a  revolving  eddy.  Evaleen,  ob- 
serving the  consternation  of  the  rivermen,  felt  a 
sudden  shock  of  terror. 

"Lucrece !"  she  cried,  grasping  the  French  girl 
by  the  wrist.  "We  are  lost!  We  shall  drown! 
The  men  can  do  nothing !  How  the  boat  creaks 
and  trembles !" 

Lucrece  was  preternaturally  calm.  She  took 
Evaleen  protectingly  in  her  arms 

"Have  no  fear,  my  sister.    Mon  pere  shall  not 


VOYAGE  OE  THE  BUCKEYE     229 

let  us  perish — he  has  the  strong  rope.  And  see ! 
see,  is  there  not  somebody  who  could  come  to  our 
aid?" 

Evaleen  gazed  through  the  driving  haze,  and 
saw,  tossing  on  the  rough  water,  a  skiff  which 
seemed  to  be  making  toilsome  progress  toward 
the  doomed  craft.  Farther  up  the  stream  she 
thought  she  could  discern  the  party  in  the  yawl, 
striving  to  reach  shore  with  the  cumbersome  cor- 
delle.  Pole,  nor  oar,  nor  rudder  could  save  the 
Buckeye  from  the  fury  of  the  eddy.  The  slender 
craft,  sixty  feet  in  length,  was  whirled  round  and 
round  with  dizzy  rapidity.  The  violence  of  the 
down-pull  at  the  vortex  broke  her  in  the  middle. 
All  on  board  fled  aft,  to  the  highest  deck,  an  ele- 
vation peculiar  to  barges.  There  remained  the 
forlorn  hope  that  the  men  in  the  skiff  might  ap- 
proach the  sinking  wreck.  This  they  did.  They 
pulled  alongside  the  half-hull,  and  with  great  dif- 
ficulty and  risk  succeeded  in  taking  the  girls 
aboard.  Three  of  the  four  boat-hands  on  the 
barge  at  the  time  of  the  disaster  perished  in  the 
funnel  of  the  eddy.  One  swam  ashore.  Evaleen 
devoutly  thanked  the  Divine  Power  for  her  de- 
liverance. Lucrece  crossed  herself.  The  French 
girl's  anxiety  was  now  all  for  her  father.  She  did 
not  see  the  yawl,  though  it  had  landed. 

"Mon  pere !    O  mon  pere — mon  pauvre  pere !" 

"He'll  turn  up,  mam'sel,"  said  a  voice  she  did 

not   like.      There   were   two   men   in   the   skiff. 


230        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Lucrece  now  observed  their  appearance  closely. 
A  look  at  the  features  of  the  man  who  had  spoken 
confirmed  a  reviving  impression  that  he  and  the 
ribald  boatman  who  had  insulted  her  from  the 
deck  of  Burr's  flatboat  at  Gallipolis  were  the 
same.  He  affected  not  to  identify  her,  but  kept 
gloating  eyes  on  Evaleen. 

"You  needn't  feel  a  bit  afraid,  young  ladies; 
you  are  in  trusty  hands.  Our  business  is  to  save 
property  and  to  rescue  folks.  We  will  row  you 
to  a  safe  place,  and  then  come  back  and  help  the 
men  pick  up  what  they  can  of  their  wrecked 
goods." 

Evaleen  saw  floating  barrels  and  boxes,  part  of 
the  cargo  of  the  Buckeye.  She  also  noticed 
skiffs  putting  out  from  shore. 

"Them  is  some  of  our  organization  coming  to 
save  goods.  This  here  eddy  is  a  dangerous  place 
for  boats." 

"Why  did  you  direct  our  captain  to  pass  this 
way,  if  it  is  a  dangerous  place?"  asked  Lucrece. 

"Oh,  the  island  over  yonder  is  a  damned  sight 
more  dangerous,  ain't  it,  Abe?" 

"You  are  not  rowing  direct  for  the  shore.  I 
shall  be  very  grateful  to  you,  gentlemen,  if  you 
land  us  at  the  nearest  point  and  assist  our  friends 
who  are  out  on  the  water  in  a  yawl." 

"Be  easy,  miss ;  we'll  look  after  your  friends  by 
and  by.  I  reckon  they  can  take  care  of  them- 
selves, though." 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     231 

"Ladies  fust,  and  gents  next,"  interjected 
Sheldrake,  leering  at  Evaleen.  "We  know  how 
to  be  perlite  to  women.  Don't  we,  cap  ?  Specially 
to  purty  women.  The  young  lady  is  right  when 
she  calls  me  and  you  gents,  eh,  cap  ?" 

"Shut  your  gab,  and  mind  your  oar,"  answered 
the  chief. 

What  object  had  these  unknown  watermen  in 
conveying  their  unwilling  passengers  away  from 
communication  with  Captain  Winslow  and  Doc- 
tor Deville  ?  Evaleen  could  not  hide  her  dismay. 
Lucrece  grew  desperate. 

"Will  you  stop  the  boat,  sir?  I  beg  it  as  a  favor. 
I  must  go  back  to  mon  pere.  He  will  think  us 
drowned.  I  must  find  him." 

"Keep  cool,  miss.  We  will  help  you  to  a  place 
where  you  will  be  taken  good  care  of,  by  nice 
folks.  You  can  stay  there  and  rest  yourselves, 
and  get  a  bite  to  eat  and  a  glass  of  cordial,  while 
we  go  back  to  look  after  the  salvage." 

Five  minutes  more  and  the  skiff  was  brought 
to  rest  beside  a  scow  loaded  with  damaged  mer- 
chandise. The  abducted  women  were  hustled  to 
the  shore. 

"Come  along,  miss ;  this  way." 

Thus  speaking,  Palafox,  going  ahead,  almost 
dragged  Evaleen  by  an  obscure  path  to  Caco- 
sotte's  Tavern.  Lucrece  followed  perforce,  con- 
voyed by  Sheldrake.  When  they  reached  the 
threshold,  the  chief  outlaw  kicked  the  door,  which 


232        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

was  soon  opened  from  within.  The  frowning 
face  and  bold  bosom  of  Mex  fronted  the  captives. 
With  one  hand  she  flung  back  the  tangled  hank 
of  her  long  black  hair,  while  the  light  of  her  black 
eyes  shone  full  on  Evaleen.  The  side  glare  cast 
on  Lucrece  was  less  vicious. 

"Mex,  here  is  two  fine  ladies  that  will  stop  in 
our  house  a  while,"  said  Palafox.  "Treat 
'em  to  the  best  you've  got.  Take  mighty  good 
care  of  'em  till  I  come  back,  Blackie,  or  you'll  hear 
from  me.  Put  'em  in  number  three,  there's  most 
light  there,  and  it's  safer.  Tell  Sott,  when  he 
comes  back,  to  keep  his  nine  eyes  on  the  front 
door,  to  see  that  nobody  that  oughtn't  to  gets  in 
or  out." 

"One  apiece  for  us,  eh,  Mex?"  added  Shel- 
drake. 

The  kidnappers  departed,  after  fastening  the 
outer  bolt  of  the  door.  Mex,  sole  custodian  of 
the  unwilling  guests,  scowled  upon  them,  in  si- 
lence. Evaleen  came  to  her  with  appealing  looks. 

"Please  unlock  the  door  and  let  us  go.  Here, 
take  my  purse.  I  will  give  you  more  if  you  will 
set  us  free — all  I  have.  You  are  a  woman;  have 
pity ;  let  us  go." 

Mex  grasped  the  silken  purse,  keeping  her  eyes 
steadily  on  the  beautiful  pleader. 

"You  window  woman?" 

Evaleen,  nonplussed,  ventured  to  nod  acqui- 
escence with  these  unintelligible  words. 


VOYAGE  OF  THE  BUCKEYE     233 

"White  antelope?" 

The  captive  nodded  again,  in  dumb  perplexity, 
eager  to  encourage  any  sign  of  human  kindness 
on  the  part  of  the  wild  being  into  whose  power 
she  had  fallen. 

"White  Mex  teeth."  She  showed  her  sharp 
incisors,  presenting  an  aspect  of  fierce  scorn. 

"Castiliano.    My  home.    Come." 

The  laconic  hostess  accompanied  these  words 
with  a  gesture,  beckoning  the  young  ladies  to  fol- 
low her,  and  led  the  way  through  the  second 
room,  to  the  heavy  wooden  portal  of  the  third. 

"Mex  let  lady  out." 

With  exulting  hearts,  the  girls  heard  this 
promise.  The  dark  woman  opened  the  door  and 
motioned  them  to  enter,  which  they  did.  Mex 
then  slammed  the  door,  and  bolted  it  upon  her 
unlucky  prisoners. 


XIX. 

ARLINGTON'S  RIDE. 

CHESTER  ARLINGTON  set  out  from  his  Vir- 
ginia home  for  the  Southwest,  carrying  in  his 
brain  many  anticipations,  memories,  and  dreams, 
having  slight  connection  with  his  nominal  duties 
as  Burr's  business  agent.  He  hoped  to  swell  his 
own  fortune  by  speculation  in  Wachita  land ;  cer- 
tainly he  was  eager  to  be  among  the  first  to  march 
into  Mexico  when  the  signal  for  invasion  should 
be  given,  openly  or  secretly.  Moreover,  sheer 
restlessness  and  love  of  adventure  prompted  him 
to  ride  over  the  hills  and  far  away. 

As  he  proceeded  westward  along  the  Old  Wil- 
derness Road,  through  Cumberland  Gap,  into  the 
heart  of  Kentucky,  he  had  plenty  of  time  for 
meditation.  The  varied  prospects  continually  ap- 
pealing to  his  eye  mixed  their  images  with  pic- 
tures in  his  memory,  especially  with  recollections 
of  his  journey  down  the  Ohio.  The  interesting 
route  over  which  he  was  now  passing  had  been 
marked  out  by  Boone  and  the  early  pioneers.  Of 
the  eighty  thousand  or  more  inhabitants  living  in 
Kentucky  at  this  time,  nearly  all  had  come  West 
on  horseback  or  on  foot.  The  famed  region — the 
hunting  ground  of  the  Indians  before  the  "Long 


ARLINGTON'S  RIDE  235 

Knives"  invaded  it — retained  the  chief  features 
of  a  primeval  forest.  The  settlers'  houses  were 
cabins  in  the  clearing. 

The  Virginian's  meditations  were  broken  in 
upon  by  various  diverting  sights  and  sounds.  His 
attention  was  attracted  by  some  picturesque  hun- 
ter, dressed  in  buckskin  pantaloons,  fringed 
jacket,  broad  yellow  belt,  and  wolfskin  cap,  and 
carrying  a  long  rifle ;  or,  perchance,  he  exchanged 
good-humored  remarks  with  a  wayfaring  rustic 
who  proposed  to  swap  horses.  He  wended  his 
way  through  the  Blue  Grass  region,  through  Lex- 
ington and  Frankfort,  and  southward  into  Ten- 
nessee. Arlington  found  keen  enjoyment  in 
what  he  saw  and  heard,  though  never  quite  losing 
from  consciousness  a  haunting  memory  of  the 
Lady  of  the  Violets.  He  read  with  curiosity  the 
tavern  signs,  wondering  what  relation  such  names 
as  "The  General  Washington,"  "The  Sign  of  the 
Wagon,"  "The  Seven  Stars,"  "The  Golden  Bull," 
"The  Red  Lion"  bore  to  the  character  of  the  en- 
tertainment advertised  by  the  several  symbols,  for 
Chester  never  failed  to  revive  at  meal-times  a 
hearty  regard  for  victuals  and  drink.  The  table 
fare  in  Kentucky  and  Tennessee  was  much  the 
same  wherever  the  traveller  stopped — consisting 
of  bacon,  eggs,  and  of  corn  bread  in  the  form  of 
dodgers,  or  of  big  loaves  weighing  eight  or  ten 
pounds,  cooked  in  a  portable  iron  Dutch  oven. 
Coffee  the  landlord  always  served,  tea  never,  and 


236         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

no  meal  was  complete  without  toddy.  Peaches 
abounded ;  and  a  drink  called  metheglin,  made  of 
their  juice  mixed  with  whiskey  and  sweetened 
water,  the  thirsty  traveller  thought  a  rival  to  mint 
julep. 

One  night  Arlington  put  up  at  a  locally  cele- 
brated tavern  on  the  border  of  Tennessee.  He 
found  the  genial  host — an  honest  gossip  called 
Chin — enjoying  a  hospitable  carouse  with  half  a 
dozen  boon  companions  soaked  full  of  flip  and 
peach  brandy.  The  jolly  topers  welcomed  the 
newcomer  to  share  their  cups.  They  imparted 
much  old  news,  and  volunteered  many  encomiums 
on  the  landlord  and  his  inn.  They  took  special 
pride  in  Chin's  tavern,  owing  to  the  undoubted 
historical  fact  that  the  guest-room  had  been  occu- 
pied by  Louis  Philippe  one  night  in  the  year  1802. 
On  requesting  to  be  shown  to  bed,  the  Virginian 
was  conducted  by  the  landlord,  candle  in  hand,  to 
a  bare  loft,  on  the  floor  of  which  lay  a  straw  tick 
covered  by  a  blue  blanket. 

"There's  a  bed  a  young  gentleman  ought  to  be 
proud  to  sleep  on,"  affirmed  the  host,  waving  the 
candle  over  the  couch.  "If  it's  good  enough  for 
the  son  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans,  it's  good  enough 
for  me  or  you,  eh  ?  Wouldn't  you  like  an  apple- 
jack or  a  stiff  metheglin  to  make  you  sleep  sound? 
The  boys  downstairs  respect  you,  sir,  for  the  way 
you  liquored.  A  young  man  travellin'  can't  be 
too  sociable  or  treat  too  often.  Well,  good-night ; 


ARLINGTON'S  RIDE  237 

you're  lucky  to  strike  that  bed;  you  don't  lay 
every  night  under  a  kiver  and  onto  a  tick  slep  be- 
tween by  the  son  of  the  Duke  of  Orleans." 

Chester  found  the  bed  conducive  to  dreams,  in 
which  he  was  happy  beyond  the  happiness  of  duke 
or  king,  dreams  of  Blennerhassett's  island  in 
May,  and  of  wandering  with  a  wingless  Yankee 
angel  in  that  earthly  Paradise.  Next  morning,  in 
payment  for  lodging  and  breakfast,  he  offered  a 
silver  dollar. 

"That's  too  much,"  said  Chin.  "Here,  Joel, 
chop  this  coin.  I  must  give  you  the  change  in 
sharp-shanks.  Will  you  have  it  in  quarters  or 
eighths?" 

"In  whatever  form  you  please." 

"Then  make  it  quarters,  Joel,"  directed  the 
landlord,  tossing  the  dollar  to  a  negro,  who  neatly 
cut  the  piece  into  four  equal  segments,  one  of 
which  was  handed  back  to  the  departing  guest. 

Arlington  proceeded  southward  toward  Nat- 
chez, following  the  road  over  which  Burr  had 
travelled  toilsomely  nearly  two  years  before. 
Though  warned  not  to  undertake  the  journey 
alone,  our  hero,  like  James  Fitz  James,  chose  to 
trace  a  dangerous  path  only  because  it  was  "dan- 
gerous known."  Road,  properly  so  called,  none 
had  yet  been  opened  through  the  wilderness 
stretching  from  Tennessee  to  lower  Louisiana, 
and  spreading  eastward  from  the  Mississippi.  The 
route  led  the  traveller  along  an  old  trail,  over 


238         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sandy  spaces  shadowed  by  melancholy  pines,  be- 
side stagnant  lagoons,  across  sluggish  streams, 
and  into  cypress  swamps,  the  lurking-place  of 
reptiles,  the  dreary  haunt  of  bats  and  vultures. 
The  road,  at  best,  was  an  indifferent  bridle  path, 
and  at  worst,  a  blind  labyrinth  of  seldom  trodden 
ways  in  the  woods.  Arlington  carried  in  his  sad- 
dle-bags a  supply  of  bread  and  cheese,  and  he  kept 
ready  primed,  in  holster  at  his  pommel,  a  brace 
of  big  pistols. 

On  the  evening  of  the  second  day  after  enter- 
ing the  piny  woods  of  Mississippi,  he  came  upon 
a  party  of  Creeks  and  Cherokees.  They  were 
friendly ;  their  chief  offered  the  hospitality  of  the 
camp,  venison  to  eat  and  a  buffalo  hide  to  sleep 
on.  These  mild  savages  spoke  a  few  English 
words,  and  they  had  partially  adopted  the  customs 
of  white  people.  The  men  wore  an  upper  gar- 
ment, like  a  shirt,  and,  about  their  loins  a 
girdle  of  blue  cloth  a  yard  and  a  half  long.  Their 
legs  were  bare,  their  feet  shod  with  moccasins  of 
stag-skin.  They  were  shorn  of  all  hair  except  a 
grotesque  tuft  on  top  of  the  head.  To  enhance 
their  masculine  beauty,  they  sported  nose-rings 
and  painted  their  faces  red,  blue  or  black.  The 
dress  of  the  squaws  consisted  of  a  shirt,  a  short 
petticoat,  and  ornamental  gaiters.  Not  one  of 
them  suffered  a  ring  in  her  nose  or  paint  on  her 
cheeks,  and  all  seemed  proud  of  their  hair.  A 
dusky  beauty,  the  chief's  daughter,  insisted  on 


ARLINGTON'S  RIDE  239 

picketing  and  feeding  Arlington's  horse.  On  the 
next  morning,  before  quitting  the  camp,  the 
young  man  gallantly  gave  her  a  silk  scarf,  a  pres- 
ent which  all  the  other  Indians,  from  the  chief 
down,  envied  her. 

No  adventure  of  an  unpleasant  kind  befell 
Chester  Arlington  until  after  he  had  crossed  Black 
River,  well  on  the  way  to  Natchez.  One  day,  in 
the  dusk  of  evening,  he  heard  a  voice  from  a  dis- 
tance shout  after  him,  "Ho,  there!"  He  looked 
in  the  direction  from  which  the  shout  had  been 
sent,  and  returned  an  answering  "Hello!"  but 
could  see  no  person,  nor  could  he  elicit  another 
cry  from  the  solitude.  This  unaccountable  voice, 
sounding  in  the  wilderness,  had  a  disagreeable  ef- 
fect on  Arlington's  nerves,  though  he  was  not  in 
the  least  alarmed  by  it.  His  horse,  however,  tired 
as  the  brute  was,  pricked  up  its  ears,  gave  a  sus- 
picious snort,  and  moved  with  quicker  pace.  Per- 
haps half  an  hour  passed;  the  twilight  deepened, 
and  the  weary  traveller  looked  right  and  left  for 
a  suitable  camping  spot  for  the  coming  night.  He 
checked  the  horse,  rose  in  his  stirrups,  turning  his 
head  to  prospect  a  green  nook  near  the  bridle  path, 
when,  crack!  whiz!  and  a  bullet  grazed  his  left 
ear.  This  was  more  serious  than  a  lone  cry  in  the 
wilderness.  Horse  and  rider  instantly  sought  se- 
curity in  flight.  The  spurs  were  hardly  needed 
to  urge  the  black  stallion  forward.  A  brisk  gallop 
along  such  ready  avenues  as  Jetty  could  follow 


24o         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

in  the  darkening  woods,  rapidly  put  a  safe  dis- 
tance between  the  traveller  and  the  random  high- 
wayman who  had  shot  at  him.  At  any  rate,  Ar- 
lington decided  to  dismount  and  take  the  chances. 
He  tethered  the  animal,  ate  a  dodger,  and  slept 
on  his  arms. 

On  the  following  morning  new  cause  for 
anxiety  arose.  The  bridle  path  was  not  to  be 
found.  In  galloping  away  to  avoid  bullets,  Ches- 
ter had  swerved  much  to  the  westward,  and  far 
from  the  obscure  and  crooked  "trace."  For  a 
whole  day  he  wandered  circuitously,  in  vain 
search  for  the  beaten  course.  The  more  stub- 
bornly he  resolved  to  keep  "calm,  cool,  and  col- 
lected," the  worse  confused  were  his  calculations. 
He  experienced  sensations  unlike  any  he  had  ever 
before  felt.  It  vexed  him  to  confess  to  himself 
that  his  usually  clear  brain  was  a  muddle.  He 
seemed  not  only  to  have  missed  the  way,  but  had 
also  lost  the  faculty  of  self-direction. 

The  night  was  again  coming  on.  Now,  Arling- 
ton regretted  his  obstinacy  in  refusing  the  ser- 
vice of  a  guide.  Danger  for  danger's  sake  was 
playing  ironically  with  him.  He  reflected  that  the 
wisest  thing  for  him  to  do  was  to  save  his 
strength,  recover  his  wandering  wits,  and  start 
afresh  the  next  morning.  Luckily  his  saddle- 
bags were  stored  with  a  good  stock  of  rations. 
He  tied  his  jaded  horse  to  a  cypress-tree,  and  sat 


ARLINGTON'S  RIDE  241 

down  on  the  ground  to  endure  as  patiently  as  he 
could  the  long  dark  hours.  "A  prince's  bed  in 
Chin's  loft,"  thought  he,  "is  luxury  compared 
with  this.  All  comfort  is  relative.  I  will  sleep 
if  I  can.  I  shall  need  myself  to-morrow." 

The  croaking  of  frogs  in  the  swamp  and  the 
shrill  trumpeting  of  the  mosquito  army  attacking 
his  face  and  hands  were  not  agreeable  lullabies. 
As  the  darkness  deepened,  a  medley  of  doleful 
noises  pervaded  the  horrible  wilderness.  Ah  un- 
earthly gabble  of  strange  water-fowl  broke  out 
suddenly,  was  kept  up  for  a  few  seconds  only, 
and  then  ceased.  Only  once  in  the  night  did  Ar- 
lington hear  that  demoniac  gabble;  but  he  lay 
awake  for  hours  expecting  and  dreading  to  hear  it 
again.  The  owls  were  not  so  sparing  of  their 
vocal  performances,  scores  of  them  joining  in  con- 
cert to  serenade  the  lost  man.  Sometimes  their 
prolonged  notes  sounded  like  the  wail  of  a  de- 
serted babe,  sometimes  like  mocking  laughter,  and 
again  like  a  deep  guttural  snore.  Nothing  worse 
than  mosquitos,  dismal  sounds,  and  the  dank 
vapor  of  the  swamp  afflicted  the  weary  man,  who, 
falling  asleep  at  midnight,  slept  so  soundly  that  on 
waking  late  next  morning  he  reproached  himself 
for  not  having  dreamed  as  usual  of  Evaleen  Hale. 

"How  do  you  feel  this  morning,  Jetty?"  he 
said,  patting  his  black  horse.  "Are  you  well 
rested?  I  will  get  you  the  best  breakfast  to  be 


242         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

had  in  this  God-forsaken  region,  and  we  must 
trot  on  or  stay  here  and  perish.  Never  say  die, 
Jetty." 

Real  difficulties  invigorate  the  brain  of  a  brave 
man.  Arlington  awoke  with  a  definite  plan  of 
procedure  in  his  mind.  After  feeding  Jetty  and 
breakfasting  with  keen  gusto,  he  renewed  his 
search  for  the  lost  path,  keeping  the  points  of  the 
compass  ever  in  view.  Natchez  lay  to  the  south 
and  also  to  the  west.  By  going  due  south  one 
must  certainly  strike  the  road  at  some  point. 

"Are  you  ready  to  start,  my  lad  ?"  said  the  man 
to  the  horse.  The  horse  whinnied  an  equine  re- 
sponse, and  was  soon  bearing  his  master  south- 
ward through  the  underbrush.  Many  an  hour 
was  wasted ;  the  sun  climbed  to  the  meridian,  and 
no  indication  of  the  anxiously  looked-for  trail  was 
seen.  At  length,  just  as  Arlington's  pioneering 
eye  lit  upon  the  shining  surface  of  a  lazy  brook, 
a  dozen  yards  away,  Jetty  suddenly  halted,  put 
nose  to  the  ground  and  began  to  paw.  The  ani- 
mal had  found  a  path,  scarcely  discernible,  yet  a 
practicable  road  marked  by  hoof-tracks.  The 
course  of  it  was  along  the  edge  of  the  small  stream 
flowing  westerly.  "Manifestly  the  rational  thing 
to  do  now  is  to  follow  the  new-found  trail,  which, 
in  all  probability,  is  the  right  road  to  Natchez,  or 
if  not,  it  may  lead  to  the  Mississippi,  where  a  boat 
can  be  hailed." 

Progress  was  slow  and  painful.     The  oppres- 


ARLINGTON'S  RIDE  243 

sive  afternoon  was  half  spent  when  a  breeze 
started  up,  the  precursor  of  a  thunder-gust.  The 
breeze,  strengthening  to  a  brisk  gale,  made  Ar- 
lington hold  fast  to  his  hat,  and  caused  the  long 
streamers  of  Spanish  moss  to  wave  like  gray  ban- 
ners from  the  limbs  of  the  cypress-trees.  The 
air  grew  murky,  clouds  were  flying  in  dark 
blotches.  A  hurricane  was  sweeping  across  the 
country ;  the  loud  rush  of  it  came  roaring  up  the 
stream;  it  lashed  and  twisted  and  tore  trees; 
poured  down  torrents;  thundered  around  and 
above  Arlington  and  his  terrified  horse,  without 
doing  either  man  or  beast  the  slightest  hurt,  save 
deluging  them  with  rain,  and  pounding  them  as 
with  mighty  hammers  of  wind.  The  storm  swept 
past,  the  rain  ceased,  the  wind  died  away,  and  the 
traveller  thanked  his  stars  he  had  escaped  death. 
On,  on,  farther  and  farther  toiled  the  travellers, 
now  both  afoot,  Arlington  leading  his  panting 
beast.  The  water-way  on  their  south,  near  the 
bank  of  which  the  road  lay,  widened  abrupt- 
ly, and  became  a  broad,  natural  canal,  with 
crumbling  shores.  Arlington  paused  to  specu- 
late on  the  strange  aspect  of  things.  Long 
had  he  journeyed  among  bushes  and  trees,  over 
logs  and  across  streams  and  oozy  marshes;  now 
he  deemed  he  was  nearing  the  Mississippi.  "I  am 
De  Soto  the  Second ;  an  explorer  of  new  regions, 
a  discoverer  of  strange  watercourses.  This 
Acheron  at  my  left  must  flow  into  some  larger 


244        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

body  of  water,  if  it  flows  at  all.  Courage,  Jetty ! 
We  are  on  the  way  to  the  Father  of  Waters." 

Climbing  once  more  into  the  saddle,  Arlington 
resumed  his  ride,  patting  his  horse  on  the  neck, 
and  encouraging  him  with  words. 

"Patience,  good  boy;  keep  up  a  day  or  two 
more.  Surely  this  widening  stream  on  our  left 
creeps  to  the  big  river.  See!  A  boat!  A  ves- 
sel made  by  man's  hands  lies  on  the  shore  of  this 
Dead  Sea!" 

Joy  fully  Chester  sprang  to  the  ground,  and  leav- 
ing the  animal  to  browse,  ran  down  to  the  edge 
of  the  bluff  to  learn  if  any  living  creature  were 
aboard.  He  discovered  three  or  four  large  boats, 
freighted  with  barrels  and  boxes.  He  called,  but 
no  answer  came  back.  Turning  to  look  after  his 
horse,  he  noticed  a  foot-path  leading  into  a  thicket, 
and  having  pushed  his  way  amid  the  wet  bushes, 
he  came  into  a  broader  path,  which  brought  him 
to  a  supposititious  tavern,  the  headquarters  of 
Palafox's  gang. 

"A  queer  place  for  a  public  house,"  thought 
Arlington,  reading  the  sign  over  the  door.  "Table 
set  in  the  wilderness ;  I  am  out  of  danger  of  star- 
vation, anyhow.  Blessed  be  the  name  of  Caco- 
sotte." 

Thus  communing  with  himself,  the  young  man 
pounded  vigorously  on  the  puncheon  door.  No 
one  came  to  open  to  him.  Loudly  he  called  in  the 
hearty  manner  of  the  backwoodsman : 


ARLINGTON'S  RIDE  245 

"Hello  the  house!" 

Nobody  answered  the  call,  though  Arlington 
could  have  sworn  he  heard  suppressed  voices 
within.  It  flashed  upon  him  that  the  place  might 
be  a  trap  for  travellers,  and  the  sign-board  a  de- 
coy. His  two  heavy  pistols,  each  more  than  a 
foot  long,  hung  strapped  to  his  belt.  The  priming 
was  fresh ;  the  flints  were  accurately  set. 

"Hello,  there,  within!" 

Still  no  answer,  yet  again  the  sound  of  voices — 
women's  voices.  The  stranger  left  the  front  por- 
tal to  investigate  the  rear  end  of  the  long  cabin. 
Loopholes  in  the  log  walls  permitted  air  and  light 
to  enter  the  rooms.  Through  one  of  these  open- 
ings, an  aperture  which  might  very  likely  con- 
ceal the  muzzle  of  an  aimed  rifle,  Arlington 
heard — not  the  report  of  a  gun,  but  what  sur- 
prised him  more — his  own  name  shrieked  by  Eva- 
leen  Hale.  The  hurried,  excited  appeal  of  the  cap- 
tives made  clear  the  prompt  and  only  course  for 
the  man  to  take.  He  hastened  to  the  front  door 
again,  and  now  saw  a  reason  why  the  strong  bolts 
on  the  outside  had  been  fastened.  These  he  drew, 
and  almost  heaving  the  door  off  its  hinges,  rushed 
into  the  den.  Mex  stood  on  guard  in  the  first 
partition  door,  a  butcher  knife  in  her  hand.  Slight 
parley  did  the  athletic,  impetuous  Virginian 
ranger  hold  with  the  dragon  who  interposed  be- 
tween him  and  his  lady-love.  "Drop  the  knife! 
Throw  up  your  hands!"  he  demanded,  with  an 


246        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

emphasis  of  desperation,  which  left  no  doubt  of 
his  intentions.  Mex  knew  the  meaning  of  pistols ; 
she  was  cowed ;  the  knife  fell  and  her  hands  went 
up.  Secretly  she  was  glad  to  be  foiled.  She 
wished  to  be  rid  of  the  woman  Palafox  admired, 
and  she  could  think  of  but  two  modes  of  dispos- 
ing of  her — killing  her  or  letting  her  escape. 
Slowly  walking  backward,  menaced  by  a  cocked 
pistol,  Mex  retreated  to  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  the  ladies  were  locked  up.  The  bolts  were 
unfastened  by  her,  the  door  swung  inward,  and 
the  prisoners  sprang  to  freedom.  Now  again 
Mex  showed  fight.  She  flashed  Pepillo's 
poignard  from  a  hidden  sheath  and  made  at  Ar- 
lington, who  struck  the  weapon  down,  shoved  the 
savage  woman  back  into  the  room,  and  bolted  the 
door. 


XX. 

MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS. 

CAPTAIN  WINSLOW  and  those  with  him  in  the 
yawl  at  the  time  of  the  sinking  of  the  barge,  intent 
on  their  work  of  landing  and  of  managing  the 
cordelle,  did  not  witness  the  rescue  of  Miss  Hale 
and  her  companion.  The  place  where  the  yawl 
came  to  shore,  was  overhung  by  bushes,  and  shut 
from  view  in  the  direction  of  the  mouth  of  the 
bayou  by  trees  and  branches  just  blown  down. 
Throughout  the  disastrous  half-hour,  only  Dr. 
Deville  thought  less  of  self-preservation  than  of 
the  safety  of  others.  Constantly  he  tried  not  to 
lose  sight  of  his  daughter  and  of  Evaleen,  and  he 
felt  sure  he  had  seen  the  girls  going  ashore  in  a 
skiff,  rowed  by  two  men.  The  boatman,  who  es- 
caped by  swimming  when  his  fellows  went  down 
in  the  whirl  of  the  eddy,  could  not  believe  but  that 
the  women  were  drowned. 

Winslow  and  his  drenched  crew  followed  Dr. 
Deville  down  to  the  angle  formed  by  the  river  and 
the  bayou,  where  stood  those  of  the  wreckers  not 
employed  with  oar  or  boat-hook.  And  now  the 
conclusion  of  the  sailor  who  swam  to  shore  was 
confirmed  by  other  testimony.  These  fellows 
swore  they  had  seen  the  lost  women  struggling  in 


248         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  water.  Another  declared  he  saw  them  sink 
while  he  was  making  a  desperate  effort,  against 
wave  and  gale,  to  reach  them  in  his  t>oat.  Not- 
withstanding the  assertions  of  the  watermen,  De- 
ville  did  not  relinquish  faith  in  his  own  eyes.  He 
suspected  foul  play.  So  did  Winslow,  who  began 
to  discover  the  spurious  quality  of  the  pretended 
salvage  corps.  The  vigilant  exertions  of  these 
hookers-in  of  flotsam  could  be  accounted  for  only 
on  the  supposition  that  here,  at  the  outlet  of  Cy- 
press Bayou,  Captain  Winslow  had  fallen  into  the 
hands  of  a  gang  such  as  he  had  described  to  his 
passengers. 

Palafox  and  his  confederate  made  haste  to  re- 
turn from  their  thieves'  den  to  the  scene  of  the 
wreck.  Deville's  pleading  inquiry  concerning  the 
missing  girls  drew  from  the  abductors  feigned  ex- 
pressions of  surprise  and  regret.  Turning  to 
Winslow,  Palafox  said : 

"I'm  'stonished,  captain,  that  you  risked  takin' 
women  on  board  a  freight  boat." 

"Yes,"  added  Sheldrake.  "You'll  blame  y'rself 
's  long  's  you  live.  Them  bodies  will  come  up  as 
floaters,  down  about  Baton  Rouge." 

Doctor  Deville  groaned. 

"No,no!  Say  not  that.  My  dear  daughter  shall 
not  be  lost !  Ah !  Mon  dieu !" 

"Daughter?  Was  one  of  'em  your  daughter, 
grand-daddy?"  exclaimed  Sheldrake.  "Think  of 
that,  Burke !  His  daughter  drownded !" 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     249 

"Je  suis  fache  de  votre  malheur,  pere"  said 
Palafox,  in  a  tone  of  affected  commiseration. 
Then  turning  to  Sheldrake  with  a  grin,  "Better 
not  devil  the  old  man  any  more,  Shel ;  he's  gone 
crazy.  Hello,  there  comes  another  boat !" 

The  craft  sighted  was  a  transport,  flying  the 
Stripes  and  Stars,  and  bearing  a  detachment  of 
soldiers  from  St.  Louis  to  Natchez.  On  being  vo- 
ciferously hailed  by  Winslow  and  his  men,  the 
batteau  headed  for  the  shore.  During  the  slow 
and  laborious  process  of  landing,  the  wreckers, 
observing  uniformed  soldiers,  with  guns,  fur- 
tively slipped  away,  one  by  one,  disappearing  in 
the  bush ;  all  excepting  Palafox,  who,  with  brazen 
audacity,  still  held  his  ground,  acting  his  part  as 
succorer  of  the  unfortunate. 

"I  mean  to  join  the  army  myself,"  said  he  to 
Winslow,  as  a  lieutenant  and  several  men  came 
ashore.  "I'd  enlist  now  if  it  wasn't  for  my  fam- 
ily at  home — two  sick  babies." 

A  yell  of  delight  from  Dr.  Deville  startled  all 
on  shore  and  on  the  boat.  His  vigilant  eye,  ever 
enfilading  the  tangled  copse  to  the  eastward,  had 
caught  through  an  opening  in  the  bushes  the  flut- 
ter of  a  blue  gown,  which  he  recognized  as  the 
kirtle  of  his  idolized  Lucrece.  She  presently 
emerged  from  the  thicket,  accompanied  by  Ar- 
lington and  Evaleen.  Palafox  was  much  discon- 
certed. He  forgot  his  role  of  public  benefactor, 
and  was  casting  about  to  slip  away  as  his  fellows 


250         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

had  done,  when  Arlington,  rushing  forward,  pis- 
tol in  hand,  savagely  confronted  him. 

"Stop !"  thundered  the  Virginian,  covering  the 
desperado  with  his  pistol,  and  glaring  upon  him 
with  determined  eye.  Palafox,  unable  to  escape, 
nonchalantly  bit  a  chew  of  tobacco  and  nodded  in- 
solently. 

"Take  this  man  prisoner!"  demanded  the  Vir- 
ginian, keeping  his  eye  and  his  pistol  on  the  boat- 
man. 

"You've  no  warrant  to  take  me,"  sneered  Pala- 
fox. 

"No  warrant  is  required.  Seize  him,  soldiers 
— he  is  a  robber,  an  outlaw !" 

To  the  accusation  of  Arlington,  Miss  Hale 
added  her  entreaties  in  terms  so  urgent  that  Pala- 
fox was  arrested  with  little  ceremony. 

While  the  soldiers  were  hustling  the  kidnapper 
aboard  the  boat,  the  officer  in  command,  Captain 
Warren  Danvers,  hastened  to  the  shore,  having 
recognized  the  voice  of  Evaleen.  Neither  Lucrece, 
who  loved  Danvers,  nor  Chester,  who  loved  Eva- 
leen, could  hear  what  passed,  in  rapid  speech,  be- 
tween the  affectionate  couple.  The  story  of  the 
voyage,  the  wreck,  the  abduction,  Evaleen  im- 
parted in  a  breath.  She  told  as  briefly  the  circum- 
stances of  the  rescue. 

"Oh,  Warren,  is  it  really  you  ?  A  divine  Provi- 
dence guards  us.  Such  a  coincidence  is  not  blind 
chance.  Who  could  guess  when  we  parted  that 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     251 

we  should  come  together  under  these  circum- 
stances. The  hand  of  Heaven  saved  us." 

"My  dear  girl,  will  you  give  no  credit  to  human 
saviors?  It  appears  you  owe  special  gratitude  to 
a  mortal.  I  can't  claim  any  merit  for  saving  you, 
but  I  am  extremely  happy  that  we  are  once  more 
together.  Who  is  your  travelling  companion? 
We  must  look  after  her." 

"Are  you  tired  of  me  already,"  she  playfully 
chided,  "and  curious  to  make  a  new  friend?  They 
are  French  people  from  Gallipolis." 

"French?  Is  she  French?"  asked  Danvers, 
gazing  toward  Lucrece. 

"French?  Is  she  French?"  tenderly  mocked 
Evaleen.  "I  told  you  they  were  French.  Now  I 
am  jealous.  Do  you  know  any  French  girl  in 
Gallipolis?" 

"Nonsense,  Evaleen!  I  am  not  a  woman's 
man.  Pardon,  I  don't  mean  that  I  don't  like 
you,  of  course — " 

"Like — don't  you  love  me?  I  love  you  with  all 
my  heart,  you  dear  fellow !  But  I  love  Lucrece 
also,  and  maybe  I'll  let  you  love  her  just  a  little." 

Danvers  seemed  embarrassed.  Evaleen  went 
on: 

"We  are  forgetting  our  friends.  Come,  you 
must  thank  the  man  who  saved  us." 

The  pair  hurried  to  where  Arlington  stood. 

"Mr.  Arlington,  this  is  Captain  Danvers." 

"I  have  met  Captain  Danvers." 


i$i        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"How,  what?  Have  you,  Warren,  formed  the 
acquaintance  of — ?" 

"I  have  seen  Mr.  Arlington  once  before." 

"Where?" 

"In  Marietta." 

"When?" 

"A  good  while  ago.  On  the  day  I  left  for  St. 
Louis." 

"You  never  told  me."  Danvers  looked  hard  at 
Arlington,  who  felt  called  upon  to  explain. 

"Madam,  I  challenged  Captain  Danvers  to 
fight." 

Evaleen's  blue  eyes  opened  wide. 

"Challenged  Warren!" 

"Yes." 

"And  you  accepted  the  challenge?" 

"Yes." 

"Why,  brother!" 

Arlington's  heart  leapt  within  him.  "Brother"  ? 
he  stammered.  "Captain  Danvers  your  brother?" 

"He  is  my  half  brother." 

Danvers  laughed  out.  Putting  his  arm 
around  Evaleen,  he  said,  "Mr.  Arlington,  if  you 
are  still  disposed  to  fight  me,  we  may  meet  when 
you  please.  But  I  am  of  the  opinion  you  will  learn 
from  Evaleen  that  you  have  more  cause  to  cherish 
hard  feelings  against  the  man  you  champion  than 
against  me." 

"At  any  rate,"  said  Arlington,  as  the  two  shook 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     253 

hands,  "whatever  you  may  think  concerning 
Colonel  Burr,  this  is  not  the  place  nor  time  for 
quarrelling.  You  have  the  Spaniards  to  fight — I 
must  fight  a  rash  temper." 

Lucrece,  pale  and  sad-eyed,  was  leaning  upon 
her  father's  shoulder.  Evaleen  hastened  to  her, 
and  the  doctor  went  up  to  Arlington  to  pour  out 
endless  thanks. 

"Are  you  sick,  Lucrece?  Shall  we  go  to  the 
boat?" 

"Sick,  sick  at  heart." 

"There  is  a  way  to  cure  that." 

"No,  my  Evaleen,  there  is  no  cure.  But  you 
shall  it  all  forgive.  How  could  I  know?  You 
say  you  sometime  tell  me  the  story  I  read,  alas, 
too  late." 

"Story?    What  story?" 

"Ah,  my  sweet  friend — pardon  me — pity  Lu- 
crece. Mon  soldat — mon  capitaine,  you  love  heem 
— he  love  you — how  shall  we  not  hate  us  ?" 

The  captain  made  bold  to  approach  the  ladies. 
When  his  eyes  met  those  of  Lucrece,  Evaleen 
interpreted  the  silent  language  exchanged. 

"Lucrece,  your  soldier  is  my  brother,  you  jeal- 
ous little  tigress !  But,"  she  added  in  a  whisper, 
"don't  let  him  kiss  you  again." 

Danvers,  without  delay,  gave  directions  for  all 
to  embark,  and  himself  conducted  Lucrece  and  her 
jubilant  father  on  board. 


254        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Arlington,  escorting  the  Lady  of  the  Violets, 
asked  her,  in  an  undertone,  "Did  you  get  my  last 
letter  from  Virginia?" 

"Yes,"  answered  Evaleen.  "Did  you  receive 
mine,  in  which  I  explained  the  mistakes  of  Byle?" 

"No;  I  did  not  get  such  a  letter.  Tell  me  all 
the  contents." 

"That  will  require  time." 

"Did  you  answer  my- — my  question?" 

"Wait  until  you  see  the  letter." 

"I  don't  think  I  can  wait." 

"Then  until  we  can  talk  on  the  boat." 

Danvers  proposed  to  take  the  crew  and  passen- 
gers of  the  wrecked  barge  Buckeye  aboard  his 
transport  and  carry  them  as  far  south  as  Natchez, 
where  a  family  boat  could  be  procured  for  the  con- 
tinuance of  their  voyage  to  New  Orleans.  Ar- 
lington, of  course,  was  accommodated;  also  his 
faithful  horse,  Jetty,  which  had  followed  him 
down  the  margin  of  the  bayou.  The  understand- 
ing was  that  Winslow  should  conduct  the  doctor 
and  the  ladies  from  Natchez  to  New  Orleans, 
leaving  Danvers  free  to  march  his  troops  to 
Natchitoches,  while  Arlington  remained  in 
Natchez  to  transact  the  business  intrusted  to  him 
by  Burr. 

The  transport  was  soon  afloat.  Monsieur  De- 
ville,  quickly  recovering  his  habitual  gaiety, 
chirruped : 

"Have  I  not  said,  Mees  Hale,  to  your  father 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     255 

that  hees  gairl  sail  be  safe  as  ze  baby  in  ze  cradle  ? 
Have  I  not  keep  my  word  ?  Ze  leetle  blow  of  ze 
wind,  it  is  all  ovair.  What  we  care  now  for  ze 
boat-wreckair,  ze  bad  robbair?  Voilal  have  we 
not  brush  away  ze  mosquito  ?  But  say  to  me,  my 
daughter's  dear  friend,  am  I  myself  Eloy  Deville  ? 
Ze  Captain  Danvers,  is  he  a  lunatic?" 

"No,  doctor,  not  a  lunatic,  but  a  lover.  My 
brother  and  your  daughter  have  been  sweethearts 
for  many  moons." 

"Now  I  am  sure  you  also,  Mees  Hale,  have  lost 
your  head.  You  also  are  in  ze  delirium." 

Danvers,  attempting  to  ingratiate  himself  with 
pere  Eloy,  was  called  away  by  an  occurrence 
which  caused  him  chagrin.  The  sentinel  to 
whom  was  assigned  the  duty  of  keeping  watch 
over  Palafox  was  not  sufficiently  vigilant  to  foil 
his  cunning.  The  amphibious  athlete  managing 
deftly  to  loosen  the  cords  which  bound  his  wrists, 
slipped  like  an  eel  from  the  boat  into  the  river, 
and,  diving  deep,  swam  awhile  under  water,  then 
on  the  surface,  and  finally  reached  the  eastern 
shore  of  the  Mississippi,  a  few  miles  south  of  the 
point  at  which  the  boat  had  landed.  Long,  toil- 
some, exhausting,  was  his  return  tramp  toward 
the  sole  haunt  in  which  he  could  expect  sympathy 
or  command  protection.  He  did  not  rely  on  honor 
among  thieves,  but  he  had  confidence  in  Mex,  who 
was  bound  to  him,  he  believed,  by  two  strong  ties, 
love  and  fear. 


256         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Night  had  fallen  before  Palafox  reached  the 
southern  edge  of  the  bayou  at  the  point  opposite 
his  only  house  and  home,  and  it  was  pitchy  dark, 
when,  having  swam  across  the  stagnant  channel, 
he  trudged,  wet  and  weary,  to  the  barred  door  of 
Cacosotte's  Tavern,  and  knocked.  Mex  undid  the 
bolts  and  let  her  master  in,  her  sagacious  eyes 
swiftly  taking  note  of  his  bodily  plight  and  des- 
perate mood.  To  her  demonstration  of  savage 
tenderness  he  returned  a  ferocious  growl,  and 
shoved  her  from  him  roughly. 

"Fetch  me  the  brandy,  quick!  Don't  you  see 
I'm  drowned?" 

He  swallowed  at  a  gulp  the  potation  she  poured 
out,  and  stepping  into  a  dark  recess  christened 
"The  Captain's  Corner,"  where  hung  various 
stolen  articles  of  men's  apparel,  he  exchanged  his 
soaked  garments  for  dry  ones. 

Meanwhile,  Mex  sullenly  placed  upon  a  table 
such  food  as  her  cupboard  could  supply.  Palafox 
emerged,  mollified  in  temper,  but  still  irascible.  In 
his  hand  he  held  the  long  leathern  pocket-book 
containing  the  alleged  evidence  of  Wilkinson's 
complicity  with  the  Spanish  government.  It  was 
creased  and  dripping,  and  before  eating  he  opened 
it,  carefully  took  out  the  papers,  and  spread  them 
on  the  counter  of  the  bar  to  dry. 

"You  wouldn't  guess  there  might  be  a  fortune 
in  these,  would  you,  Blackey?" 

"Not  Blackey!     No  negar-wool!"     She  shook 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     257 

her  long  black  hair,  and  her  blacker  eyes  glittered. 
"No  Mexicano,  no  red  squaw — your  woman." 

Palafox  was  wont  to  amuse  himself  by  provok- 
ing the  pride  and  jealousy  of  this  caged  creature 
of  untamed  affections. 

"Where  is  Sott?  Did  he  come  home?  He 
ought  to  be  burnt  alive  for  letting  my  game  es- 
cape. Where  is  he  ?" 

Mex,  standing  behind  her  lord  and  watching 
him  as  he  ate  and  drank,  explained  that  Nine  Eyes 
had  been  badly  hurt  in  a  fight  with  one  of  the 
band ;  a  bullet  had  shivered  the  bones  of  his  arm ; 
the  sufferer  had  groaned  and  howled,  but  she 
soothed  him,  she  said,  by  a  charm,  and  he  at  last 
slept. 

Sott's  nondescript  nurse  had  in  fact,  ad- 
ministered an  opiate.  In  addition  to  the  arts  of 
the  hoodoo  and  medicine  man,  she  possessed  un- 
usual knowledge  of  the  virtue  of  wild  plants,  in- 
cluding those  of  dangerous  quality.  There  was 
never  race  or  tribe  so  primitive  as  to  be  ignorant 
of  deadly  herbs.  This  scarcely  half-civilized 
daughter  of  miscegenation  was  a  Hecate  in  the 
skilful  decoction  of  potent  leaves,  roots  and 
berries. 

"You  charmed  him  to  sleep  ?"  sneered  Palafox, 
glancing  back  threateningly,  and  speaking  in 
Spanish.  "Be  careful  who  you  charm.  Best  not 
be  coddling  Nine  Eyes,  or  any  other  man,  while 
I'm  livin'.  Bring  another  bottle.  You  could 


258         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

have  kept  those  girls  here  for  me,  if  you'd  tried. 
You  allowed  that  strutting  dandy  to  carry  them 
off  before  your  eyes.  This  makes  the  second  time 
he  got  away  from  me.  The  third  time  is  the 
charm.  Not  your  kind  of  charm,  Mex,  but  one 
that  acts  quicker." 

"What  charm?"  asked  Mex,  who  had  gone  be- 
hind the  bar,  and  was  busy  with  bottles  and  cups. 
She  decanted  some  drops  into  a  flask. 

"What  charm !  Copper-cheeks !  You  don't 
recollect  how  I  dosed  Pepillo  that  night !" 

"Yes,  that  night  me  save  your  life.  Me  your 
wife  then !  Me  kill  dandy  ?" 

Palafox  chuckled  at  the  question. 

"No,  senora,  no.  I'll  do  that  part  of  the  busi- 
ness, and  you  see  after  the  charming.  You  might 
have  captivated  the  dandy  for  all  I  care,  and  kept 
him  to  yourself.  It  isn't  him  I  want.  I  want  her. 
And  I'll  have  her  yet.  I've  set  my  heart  on  get- 
ting ahold  of  that  woman." 

The  hand  of  Mex  could  not  have  been  steady ; 
she  let  fall  something  that  broke  like  glass. 

"What  are  you  spilling,  there?  Don't  break 
my  bottles.  Bring  me  more  drink." 

Mex  started  up  confusedly  from  behind  the  bar, 
brought  a  flagon,  sat  down  on  the  bench  beside 
Palafox,  and  looked  into  his  face.  A  furious  re- 
sentment was  raging  in  her  heart. 

Palafox  enjoyed  his  temporary  wife's  manifes- 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     259 

tations  of  jealousy.  He  laughed,  took  a  deep 
draught  from  the  flagon,  and  said : 

"You  are  infernal  particular,  Mex.  I  never 
heard  of  another  woman  of  your  pedigree  who 
was  opposed  to  polygamy." 

She  did  not  understand  all  the  words  he  used, 
but  gathered  the  chief  import,  and  replied  with 
impetuous  wrath : 

"No  Mex — not  Choctaw — me  Castiliano — me 
Senora  Palafox."  The  desperado  sat  still  several 
minutes,  drank  again  from  a  bowl  which  Mex  had 
mixed. 

"You're  all  right,  senora — I  couldn't  keep 
house  without  you.  Look  ye  here,  bring  all  those 
papers  and  I'll  put  'em  safe  back  in  the  pocket 
book."  The  papers  were  folded  up  and  enclosed 
carefully  into  the  leathern  wallet.  Palafox,  with 
trembling  hand,  thrust  the  package  in  his  pocket, 
and  then  staggered  to  his  feet. 

"There's  a  queer  pain  in  the  back  of  my  neck 
and  in  my  chest,  Mex;  I  can't  stand  up — help 
me."  He  leaned  on  the  bar,  and  the  woman 
hastily  drew  to  the  middle  of  the  floor  the  great 
buffalo  robe  which  was  her  usual  bed.  She  also 
brought  a  panther's  hide  rolled  up  to  serve  as  a 
pillow.  The  horribly  staring  eyes  of  Palafox  fol- 
lowed her  motions. 

"There's  something  ails  my  heart,  I  tell  you." 

He  stumbled  upon  the  bed  of  pelts  and  lay 
sprawling. 


26o         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"More  drink !  water !  brandy !  quick !" 

With  difficulty  Mex  turned  the  man  upon  his 
back.  A  while  he  lay  still.  His  breathing  was 
labored  and  he  twitched  convulsively.  The  entire 
nervous  system  was  suddenly  depressed.  Mex 
stood  motionless  beside  the  pallet,  her  eyes  riveted 
upon  him.  Presently  his  livid  lips  opened,  and 
he  spoke  gaspingly,  "I'm  done  for." 

His  hand  fumbled  about  his  heart.  He  was 
falling  into  syncope.  He  did  not  feel  the  sweep 
and  tickle  of  downfalling  hair  which,  for  a  mo- 
ment, enmeshed  and  covered  his  face,  when  Mex 
knelt  at  his  side  and  took  from  his  bosom  the 
pocket-book  he  had  told  her  contained  a  fortune. 

Having  secured  this  treasure,  the  slighted  mis- 
tress of  a  dying  robber  slid  noiseless  as  a  shadow 
to  her  accustomed  covert  behind  the  bar.  When 
she  came  thence  her  feet  and  ankles  were  encased 
in  high  buckskin  moccasins  adorned  in  bright 
colors.  About  her  shoulders  she  drew  an  Indian 
blanket  decorated  in  richest  style  of  barbaric  ele- 
gance. She  paused  to  bestow  a  parting  look  on 
the  distorted  face  of  him  she  had  loved  and  poi- 
soned. A  feeble  moan  came  from  his  lips.  She 
knew  it  meant  death,  for  wolf's-bane  was  mixed 
with  the  last  draughts  he  had  taken. 

Like  a  shadow  Mex  passed  from  the  cabin  into 
the  darkness  of  the  woods.  She  had  prevented 
the  man  from  pursuing  any  other  woman. 

The  hours  of  night  wore  slowly  away,  and 


MOSTLY  LOVE  MATTERS     261 

Cacosotte,  returning  to  consciousness  after  his 
anaesthetic  sleep,  felt  renewed  pain  in  his  disabled 
arm.  As  soon  as  he  realized  his  condition, 
he  sat  up  in  bed  and  shouted  for  his  nurse. 
"Mex !"  No  answer. 

"Mex,  for  God's  sake  come  and  fix  my  arm." 

No  answer.  No  sound  whatever  was  to  be 
heard  in  the  lonely  cabin. 

"Mex,  O  Mex!" 

No  response.  Cacosotte  waited  half  an  hour 
and  again  called  out.  Finally  he  got  up,  and  in 
the  gray  light  of  a  cloudy  November  dawn  made 
his  way  from  his  remote  couch  in  "Heaven"  to 
the  glimmering  twilight  of  "Hell."  Mex  was  not 
in  her  lair,  nor  was  the  couch  itself  in  the  usual 
place. 

Cacosotte  bent  over  Palafox  and  saw  a  corpse. 


XXI. 

PRO  AND  CON. 

"No,  sir,  no,  sir!  I  deny  the  statement.  Burr 
is  not  getting  justice.  Daviess  is  a  persecutor, 
not  a  prosecutor.  He  hates  Burr  as  he  hates 
every  Republican.  He  rakes  up  all  the  filthy  lies 
of  the  past,  concerning  Burr  and  Wilkinson,  and 
peddles  them  round  in  that  dung-cart,  The  West- 
ern World,  which  his  man  Friday,  John  Wood, 
drives." 

"You'd  best  not  talk  too  loud,  Hadley;  Wood 
is  at  the  door." 

"Who  wants  John  Wood?"  bawled  the  bearer 
of  that  name.  "Hadley,  you?" 

"No;  I  avoid  you  and  your  paper.  You  ought 
to  be  sued  for  libel.  I  say  to  you  as  I  just  now 
said  to  Ogden,  that  Jo  Hamilton  Daviess  is  mak- 
ing this  fuss,  not  for  furtherance  of  law  and  jus- 
tice, but  to  blacken  the  name  of  Burr." 

"Burr  blackened  it  himself,"  retorted  Wood, 
"with  the  blood  of  Hamilton." 

"Black  blood  it  was,  from  a  black  heart.  Don't 
say  anything  against  that  duel  here  in  Ken- 
tucky !"  said  Hadley. 

The  wrangle,  of  which  the  foregoing  speeches 
were  a  part,  took  place  in  Frankfort,  Kentucky, 


PRO  AND  CON  263 

on  the  morning  of  December  2,  1806.  The  town 
was  thronged  with  zealous  partisans,  Federalists 
and  Republicans,  from  near  and  far.  Scores  of 
sturdy  ploughmen  and  cavalcades  of  stock-raisers 
had  ridden  from  their  Blue  Grass  farms  to  the 
State  capital,  on  horses  of  a  breed  and  beauty  un- 
surpassed in  the  world.  Every  tavern,  black- 
smith-shop, and  grocery  drew  its  crowd,  for  the 
weather  was  cold,  and  the  country  folks  were  glad 
of  a  chance  to  warm  themselves  while  they  bois- 
terously discussed  the  latest  phases  of  the  legal 
proceeding  then  in  progress,  involving  the  repu- 
tation of  Aaron  Burr,  and  threatening  his  per- 
sonal liberty. 

Daviess,a  staunch  Federalist,  controlled  a  polit- 
ical newspaper,  the  avowed  purpose  of  which  was 
"to  drag  to  light  the  men  who  had  been  concerned 
with  Miro  in  the  Spanish  conspiracy  of  1787." 
Daviess  had  written  to  Jefferson  accusing  Gen- 
eral Wilkinson  of  having  been  in  Spanish  pay, 
and  later  had  charged  both  Wilkinson  and  Burr 
with  the  grossest  disloyalty.  These  two  men  were 
openly  and  repeatedly  attacked  in  the  paper,  a 
copy  of  which  Wood  held  in  hand  when  he  con- 
fronted Hadley. 

"You  can't  smutch  the  character  of  Daviess," 
said  Wood.  "His  name  is  above  suspicion.  He 
performs  his  duty  as  United  States  District  At- 
torney without  fear  or  favor." 

"You  are  not  competent  to  give  an  unbiased 


264        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

opinion ;  your  bread-and-butter  depends  upon  the 
man  who  set  you  up  in  business." 

The  sneer  drew  applause  from  a  majority  of 
those  in  the  store.  Burr  had  won  the  heart  of  the 
populace.  Wood  returned  a  sharp  rejoinder. 

"What  a  pity  that  some  good  man  has  not  set 
Hadley  up  in  a  better  business  than  pettifogging. 
Apply  to  your  patron,  Judge  Innes.  Lick  his  foot. 
There's  an  immaculate  judge  for  you!  Talk  of 
corruption !  I've  been  present  at  every  session  of 
the  court  whenever  the  case  of  Burr  came  up. 
Away  back  as  early  as  the  beginning  of  Novem- 
ber Daviess  moved  for  a  process  to  compel  the 
attendance  of  Burr  in  court  to  answer  charges  of 
treason.  Daviess  made  affidavit  that  he  had  posi- 
tive evidence  of  Burr's  plotting  to  wage  war 
against  Spain,  invade  Mexico,  and  break  up  the 
Union.  What  was  the  action  of  Judge  Hary 
Innes?  He  overruled  the  motion — denied  the 
course  of  justice." 

"No,"  broke  in  the  other,  "he  denied  the  mo- 
tion because  there  were  no  grounds  for  the 
charge." 

"Hold  on,  Mr.  Hadley,  till  I  am  through.  I 
want  these  young  men  from  the  Blue  Grass  and 
from  Lexington  to  know  the  truth,  the  whole 
truth,  and  nothing  but  the  truth." 

"Fust  time  truth  ever  come  from  the  editor  of 
The  Western  World!"  growled  a  backwoodsman 
in  buckskin  breeches.  "I'll  bet  my  money  on 


PRO  AND  CON  265 

Burr.  Burr  ought  to  be  President  'stid  of  Jeffer- 
son. He  was  cheated  out  of  the  Presidency." 

"That's  the  talk !"  put  in  a  squeaky-voiced  old 
man,  wiping  his  lips  with  the  back  of  his  hand, 
after  having  taken  a  drink  of  cheap  whiskey,  for 
a  dram  went  gratis  with  every  purchase,  and  old 
Jim  Sweet  had  bought  a  long  woollen  "comfort" 
for  his  scrawny  neck.  "That's  the  talk,  gen'l'men. 
I  say,  hurrah  for  Wilkinson  and  Burr  and  Harry 
Clay !  I  wisht  Clay  had  popped  a  hole  in  Daviess, 
jest  like  Burr  did  in  Hamilton.  Why  didn't 
they  fight?  They  say  Daviess  sent  a  challenge. 
Wonder  why  that  dool  'tween  Jo  and  Harry  never 
come  off  ?" 

Hadley  shrugged  his  shoulders. 

"That  gits  me,"  continued  Jim.  "Reckon  it 
were  a  case  of  one  askeert  and  an'  t'other  da'sn't, 
eh,  Hen?" 

"Skeert  nothin' !"  mumbled  the  backwoodsman. 
"Clay's  a  dead  shot." 

The  man  of  the  newspaper  here  put  in. 
"Daviess  sent  Clay  a  challenge ;  that's  certain." 

"Yes !  an'  there's  another  fack  what's  durn  cer- 
tain, my  friend,  or  I'm  a  liar!"  The  backwoods- 
man roused  himself  from  his  stooping  posture  and 
sat  glaring  at  the  editor.  "Harry  Clay  done  ac- 
cepted Daviess's  challenge ;  an'  if  matters  was  ar- 
ranged satisfactory  to  both  parties  without  no 
pluggin',  I  reckon  there  ain't  no  need  of  com- 
ments from  outsiders." 


266         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Editor  Wood,  aware  that  the  public  sentiment 
was  against  him,  prudently  withdrew,  leaving  the 
floor  to  Hadley,  which  zealous  Democrat,  ad- 
dressing sympathetic  auditors,  voiced  their  feel- 
ings and  his  own. 

"I  was  in  the  court  room,  and  I  saw  some  of 
you  there  when  first  Daviess  tried  to  calumniate 
Burr;  and  I  was  there  when  Innes  overruled  the 
motion.  That  was  a  great  day.  The  judge  had 
scarcely  finished  speaking  when  Burr  himself,  just 
from  Lexington,  entered  the  court-house.  He 
made  the  neatest  speech  ever  I  heard — perfectly 
calm  and  dignified — and  he  asked  for  a  full  and 
free  investigation — the  sooner  the  better,  he  said 
— now,  if  possible.  You  heard  that  speech,  Jim, 
didn't  you?" 

Old  Jim,  who,  with  trembling  hands,  was  in 
the  act  of  adjusting  his  new  comfort,  swore  he 
had  heard  all  the  great  preachers  and  lawyers  of 
his  day,  but  Burr  knocked  the  persimmons. 

"Do  you  recamember,  Hen,"  said  he,  familiarly 
addressing  Hadley.  "Do  you  recamember  how 
Daviess  hopped  up  and  snarled  out,  'You  shall 
have  all  the  investigation  you  want !'  He  said  it 
in  jest  that  tantulatin'  style.  'All  the  in-ves-ti-ga- 
tion  you  want.'  /  was  riled.  I  hissed." 

"Like  an  old  snappin'  turtle,"  said  the  back- 
woodsman. 

"I  recollect,"  resumed  Hadley,  "the  judge  fixed 
the  next  Wednesday  for  the  hearing,  as  Burr  de- 


PRO  AND  CON  267 

sired.  Wednesday  came,  but  Daviess  wasn't 
ready.  One  of  his  witnesses  absent.  What  could 
the  judge  do  but  discharge  the  jury  ?  He  did  dis- 
charge the  jury,  and  then,  gentlemen,  we  had  an- 
other surprise !  No  sooner  had  those  jurymen  left 
the  box  than  in  marched  Burr  once  again,  and 
said  he  regretted  that  the  jury  had  been  dis- 
charged, and  asked  the  reason.  Daviess  buzzed 
up,  like  a  mad  hornet,  and  explained  that  one  of 
his  principal  witnesses,  Davis  Floyd,  was  in  In- 
diana attending  a  territorial  legislature.  Every- 
body burst  out  laughing,  and  the  judge  had  to 
call  the  court  to  order.  You  ought  to  have  seen 
Burr !  Without  cracking  a  smile,  he  desires  that 
the  cause  of  Floyd's  absence  be  entered  upon  rec- 
ord. Then  he  makes  another  address,  partly  to 
the  court  and  partly  to  the  people,  denying  in  toto 
the  charges  against  him,  and  insisting  on  a  fair 
investigation.  There  is  not  a  franker,  more  open- 
and-above-board  soul  living  than  this  same  Aaron 
Burr  of  New  York !  They  can't  catch  him  by  any 
tricks  of  law  or  lying.  He  won't  be  downed.  To- 
day comes  the  last  tug  of  war.  I  never  saw  such 
another  crowd  in  this  town  as  we  have  now  to  at- 
tend court.  All  Frankfort  is  here,  all  Lexington, 
and  pretty  much  all  Kentucky." 

"I'll  be  danged,"  piped  old  Jim,  "if  I  don't  start 
right  away  and  try  to  git  a  bench.  An  ailin'  man, 
like  me,  can't  scrouge,  as  I  used  to  could." 

"Go  'long  wi'  me;  I'll  jam  you  through  the 


268         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

crowd,  or  mash  you,  Jim,"  offered  the  backwoods- 
man. "Fetch  out  the  jug,  Sanders,  it's  my  treat. 
Come  up  to  the  counter,  neighbors,  'less  you  mean 
to  insult  me.  Here,  use  this  dipper,  Jim.  All 
must  drink — yes,  you  too,  Solly."  These  last  words 
were  addressed  to  a  ghost-like  man  with  a  long 
white  beard  and  insane  eyes,  who  had  glided  into 
the  store.  He  was  recognized  by  all  present  under 
the  name  of  "Solly,"  an  abbreviation  of  Solita- 
rius.  The  demented  fanatic  sadly  shook  his  head. 

"Peace  be  with  you  all.    Amen !" 

"Amen,  Solly;  how's  the  Halcyon  Itinerary?" 
asked  Hadley,  in  playful  irony.  "Where's  your 
revelations  ?" 

"Awake  from  your  dreams."  This  monition, 
uttered  in  a  slow,  solemn  tone,  was  received  by 
the  loafers  good-naturedly,  being  advice  they  had 
often  heard  from  the  same  lips. 

"This  whiskey  '11  wake  'em  up,  Solly,  if  any- 
thing this  side  of  liquid  fire  can.  Here's  a  tinful 
for  you." 

The  crazy  prophet  waved  the  offering  away, 
raised  his  palms  in  silent  benediction,  and  glided 
out  as  noiselessly  as  he  had  entered. 

"Badly  cracked,"  said  the  grocery-keeper. 

"Religion  done  it,"  exclaimed  Old  Jim,  be- 
tween swallows. 

The  drinks  having  been  paid  for,  the  entire 
company,  led  by  the  backwoodsman,  left  the  store 
and  hurried  to  the  court-house. 


XXII. 

NOT  A  TRUE  BILL. 

THE  oft-deferred  and  eagerly  expected  hour 
came,  in  which  the  charges  brought  against 
Aaron  Burr  by  the  United  States  District  Attor- 
ney of  Kentucky  were  to  be  investigated  before 
a  Grand  Jury,  Judge  Hary  Innes  presiding.  The 
court-room  was  crammed  from  wall  to  wall  with 
a  crowd  of  men  impatiently  awaiting  the  first 
move  in  the  anticipated  war  of  words  between  two 
famous  lawyers,  who  were  known  to  be  not  only 
political  antagonists,  but  also  personal  enemies. 
The  cause  of  the  impending  battle  was  worthy  of 
the  contestants.  On  the  result  of  that  day's  testi- 
mony and  debate  hung  the  fortunes  of  the  con- 
spirator and  his  federaries.  This  Burr  realized, 
though  few  of  his  devoted  adherents  in  that 
crowded  room  had  suspicion  that  the  charges 
against  him  were  true.  In  the  minds  of  most  of 
them  he  figured  as  a  martyr,  a  patriotic  citizen 
maligned  and  traduced.  There  were  many  in  that 
assemblage  who,  had  they  believed  his  designs 
traitorous,  would  have  greeted  him  not  with  ap- 
plause, but  with  a  volley  of  rotten  eggs. 

When  Judge  Innes  stepped  behind  the  high 
desk  of  justice,  and  took  his  official  seat,  a  buzz 


270        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

of  expectation  went  round.  The  clerk  of  the  court 
bustled  in  with  an  air  of  importance,  and  shook 
hands  with  the  District  Attorney,  whose  troubled, 
anxious  eye  shot  piercing  glances  in  every  direc- 
tion. Daviess  appeared  to  be  seeking  for  some- 
body he  hardly  hoped  to  find.  Old  Jim,  standing 
in  a  corner,  craned  his  neck  to  get  a  better  view, 
wheezily  murmuring  in  the  ear  of  his  friend,  the 
backwoodsman,  "J°  looks  cross.  I  reckon  he  has 
lost  somethin'." 

"  'Spect  he  has  lost  his  case,"  remarked  Buck- 
skin Breeches,  stooping  to  spit  tobacco  juice  on 
the  floor.  At  this  moment  a  cheer,  seconded  by 
general  handclapping,  announced  the  coming  of 
Burr  and  his  counsel,  Clay  and  Allen.  The  judge 
did  not  check  the  demonstration ;  on  the  contrary, 
he  smiled  a  beaming  welcome  and  was  unjudicial 
enough  to  nod  familiarly  from  his  high  bench. 

The  case  was  called  with  the  usual  forms  of 
procedure,  when,  to  the  disgust  of  Old  Jim  and 
the  auditors  generally,  Daviess  asked  a  further 
postponement  owing  to  the  absence  of  an  indis- 
pensable witness,  John  Adair.  The  judge  hesi- 
tated, Burr  had  nothing  to  say,  and  the  spectators 
manifested  signs  of  democratic  protest  against  be- 
ing disappointed  in  their  hopes  of  a  forensic  en- 
tertainment. Burr's  lawyers  were  very  willing  to 
treat  the  populace  to  a  taste  of  oratory,  which,  in 
the  guise  of  legal  discussion,  might  produce  re- 
mote political  effects,  for  office-seeking  was  a  fine 


NOT  A  TRUE  BILL  271 

art  in  the  good  old  days  of  Jackson  and  Clay. 
Colonel  Allen  arose  to  insist  that  the  investigation 
go  on  or  else  be  abandoned  finally  and  entirely, 
and  to  this  the  judge  seemed  to  assent.  Daviess, 
fearful  that  the  court  and  the  balance  of  public 
opinion  were  against  him,  felt  the  difficulty  of  his 
position,  but  determined  to  summon  all  his  power 
of  argument  and  persuasion,  hoping  to  turn  the 
tide  in  his  favor.  A  bold  man,  ready  in  debate, 
sharp  at  repartee,  the  leader  of  his  party,  the 
District  Attorney  was  considered  a  match  for  any 
member  of  the  Kentucky  bar.  The  judge,  the  as- 
sembled lawyers,  and  the  waiting  audience  per- 
ceived in  the  very  attitude  of  Daviess,  when  he 
rose  to  plead  for  postponement,  that  he  was  loaded 
with  a  great  speech.  They  were  not  mistaken. 
For  more  than  an  hour  he  held  the  absorbed  at- 
tention of  every  listener.  He  set  forth  clearly  and 
forcibly  the  fundamental  reasons  why  the  accusa- 
tion of  treason  against  a  prominent  citizen  should 
be  fully  investigated. 

"Your  Honor,"  said  he,  in  conclusion,  "I  ap- 
pear before  you  and  before  the  people  of  this  State 
and  county,  and  before  the  throne  of  Almighty 
God;  I  come  in  the  discharge  of  an  imperative 
duty,  as  a  servant  of  the  United  States,  to  which 
I  am  bound  by  a  sacred  oath ;  I  come  to  lay  before 
you  damning  evidence  that  the  accused  is  guilty  of 
treason  to  his  country.  Only  give  me  time — 
grant  me  another  day.  I  shall  produce  unwilling 


2.72         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

witnesses  whose  testimony  will  convince  even  the 
most  prejudiced  politician,  will  persuade  even  his 
own  deluded  followers  that  Aaron  Burr  is  en- 
gaged in  machinations  to  destroy  this  Federal 
Union  which  the  men  of  Lexington  and  Bunker 
Hill  fought  and  died  to  establish.  Behold  the 
Brutus  who  would  stab,  not  a  despotic  Caesar,  but 
the  nourishing  bosom  of  his  native  country.  We 
have  here,  in  loyal  Kentucky,  a  Lexington,  our 
most  populous  city.  Remember  that  it  was  named 
in  commemoration  of  the  first  battle  of  the  Revo- 
lution. Shall  our  Lexington  be  suffered  to  become 
a  hot-bed  of  sedition  ?  No,  your  Honor — a  thou- 
sand times,  no !" 

The  effect  of  this  peroration  was  for  the  mo- 
ment overwhelming.  A  dead  silence  prevailed 
throughout  the  court-room.  Garrulous  Old  Jim 
attempted  no  sarcastic  criticism;  he  rolled  his 
blear  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  backwoodsman 
and  shook  his  head  as  if  to  say,  "I  give  it  up." 
The  climax  of  the  day's  oratory,  however,  was 
yet  to  come.  Daviess  took  his  seat  and  Clay  in- 
stantly sprang  up  to  answer  him.  "Harry  of  the 
West,"  already  a  popular  idol,  was  the  most  cele- 
brated speaker  in  Kentucky.  Not  yet  thirty  years 
of  age,  he  had  just  been  chosen  to  represent  his 
State  in  the  Senate  of  the  nation.  Burr,  solicit- 
ing his  professional  aid,  had  written  a  note  deny- 
ing either  treasonable  intentions  or  complicity 
with  traitors.  "You  may  be  satisfied,"  wrote  he, 


NOT  A  TRUE  BILL  273 

"that  you  have  not  espoused  the  cause  of  a  man 
any  way  unfriendly  to  the  laws,  the  government, 
or  the  interest  of  his  country."  Relying  on  this 
assurance,  Clay  gave  his  services  without  fee,  per- 
haps in  anticipation  of  the  satisfaction  he  would 
enjoy  in  vanquishing  with  the  tongue  the  man 
who  had  once  challenged  him  to  mortal  combat 
with  pistols.  His  resolute  mien,  tall,  graceful 
figure,  expressive  gestures,  flashing  eye,  and  mel- 
lifluous voice  captivated  independently  of  the  sub- 
stance of  his  discourse.  Clay  was  eloquent  by 
nature.  There  was  no  resisting  the  flood  of  his 
impassioned  speech. 

In  the  course  of  his  address,  which  was  meant 
as  much  for  the  public  ear  as  for  that  of  the  judge, 
he  said:  "These  paltry  charges,  may  it  please 
your  Honor,  these  foul  and  slanderous  charges, 
the  filthy  ooze  of  an  irresponsible  newspaper,  are 
incredible,  preposterous — nay,  mendacious !  They 
are  not  made  in  good  faith.  The  purpose  of  those 
who  are  fomenting  mischief,  under  the  pretence 
of  performing  public  duty,  is  not  what  it  professes 
to  be.  The  motives  underlying  this  show  of  pub- 
lic virtue  are  sinister  and  selfish." 

"Do  you  mean  to  cast  reflections  on  my  char- 
acter, sir?"  demanded  Daviess. 

"Not  at  all.  You  are  brilliant  enough  to  shine 
by  your  own  light.  Look,  sir,  a  moment,  at  the 
history  of  this  illustrious  American  citizen  whom 
you  are  called  upon  to  vex  and  vilify;  remember 


274        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

his  heroic  conduct  in  war,  his  splendid  services  in 
peace;  recall  the  story  of  his  public  sacrifices  and 
his  private  misfortunes;  who,  I  ask,  is  worthy  of 
a  generous  people's  gratitude  and  confidence  if 
Aaron  Burr  be  not  worthy  ?  Do  you  charge  him 
with  disloyalty  ?  him  the  hero  of  Quebec,  of  Long 
Island,  and  of  Monmouth?  him  the  very  sword 
hand  of  Washington?"  This  flourish  of  rhetoric 
added  an  extra  inch  to  the  length  of  Jim  Sweet's 
craned  neck. 

"Sock  it  to  'em!"  he  tried  to  shout,  but  his 
phthisicky  effort  ended  in  a  spell  of  coughing. 

"Order  in  the  court !"  shouted  the  clerk,  fixing 
the  disturber  with  threatening  eye. 

"They  tell  us  Republics  are  ungrateful,  and  it 
seems  that  my  learned  friend,  the  district  attor- 
ney, would  have  you  believe  that  miserable 
maxim.  Out  upon  such  a  sentiment !  We  boast, 
sir,  of  the  hospitality  of  Old  Kentucky,  especially 
of  the  Blue  Grass  region,  and  well  we  may  boast. 
Our  people  are  magnanimous — their  hearts  are 
great.  But  what  shall  be  said  of  the  unspeakable 
meanness,  baseness,  perfidy,  of  that  man  or  that 
community  which  would  betray  the  stranger  at 
the  gates,  that  would  traduce  and  malign  a  high- 
minded,  unsuspecting  guest  ?  What,  your  Honor, 
is  the  hospitality  of  that  section  or  city  in  this 
vast  Republic,  the  function  of  whose  tribunals  is 
to  protect  the  rights  of  the  individual ;  what  is 
the  hospitality  of  a  neighborhood  which  permits 


NOT  A  TRUE  BILL  275 

a  citizen  to  lie  in  wait  to  assassinate  a  pilgrim  of 
peace  ?  That,  your  Honor,  is  what  the  prosecutor 
purposes.  He  would  blacken  the  reputation  of  his 
brother  who  happens  to  be  of  a  different  political 
complexion.  He  would  filch  from  the  ex- Vice- 
President  of  the  United  States  his  good  name." 

"He'd  flitch  his  own  mother,"  ventured  Jim,  on 
whose  brain  the  dipperful  of  whiskey  was  produc- 
ing mixed  results. 

"Hold  yer  gab,"  said  the  backwoodsman, 
hoarsely.  "Listen !" 

The  orator  turned  full  upon  the  district  at- 
torney and  thundered :  "Has  it  come  to  such  a  pass 
that  a  private  citizen  cannot  make  a  tour  of  ob- 
servation through  this  free  country  without  be- 
ing dragged  before  a  court  to  answer  trumped-up 
accusations  as  preposterous  as  they  are  malig- 
nant? What  will  become  of  your  rights  and 
mine  ?  Will  some  prosecuting  attorney  arrest  me 
on  my  way  to  Washington,  because  I  have  some- 
where, at  some  time,  expressed  private  opinions 
from  which  he  dissents !  I  would  like  Mr.  Daviess 
to  tell  us  what  the  Constitution  means?  Does  it 
not  insure  to  us  all  the  right  of  habeas  corpus  ?" 

The  outcome  of  the  day's  debate  was  a  substan- 
tial victory  for  Burr,  though  a  technical  one  for 
Daviess.  The  court  adjourned  to  the  following 
morning.  Again  the  officers  of  the  county,  the 
jury,  the  lawyers,  and  the  great  concourse  of  citi- 
zens, assembled.  The  district  attorney  submitted 


276         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

his  indictment  and  sent  his  evidence  to  the  jury. 
The  jury  heard  witnesses  and  returned  the  pre- 
sentment, "Not  a  true  bill." 

On  hearing  the  foreman  announce  this  decision, 
the  partisans  of  Burr  and  his  counsel  broke  out  in 
tumultuous  rejoicing.  Hadley  stood  up  on  a 
bench  and  shouted : 

"Three  cheers  for  Aaron  Burr;  Hip,  hip,  hur- 
rah !" 

The  judge  could  not  or  did  not -check  the  en- 
thusiasm. 

"Three  and  a  tiger  for  Clay!"  squeaked  Old 
Jim,  and  the  cheers  were  repeated. 

Burr,  escorted  by  his  attorneys,  made  his  way 
through  the  crowd,  shaking  hands  right  and  left. 
On  the  sidewalk,  near  the  court-house,  the  three 
gentlemen  were  accosted  by  the  ghostly  Solitarius. 

"Awake  from  your  dreams !"  said  the  mild 
lunatic,  in  his  peculiar,  hollow,  monotonous  voice 
— and  he  rolled  his  overlustrous  eyes  upon  Burr. 

"Brethren,  be  not  forgetful  to  entertain  the 
stranger !  I  am  that  Solitarius,  to  whom  this  new 
gospel  was  revealed,  by  an  angel  of  God,  while  I 
dwelt  in  a  cell  at  the  foot  of  the  Alleghany  Moun- 
tains, in  the  year  of  our  Lord  1799." 

Clay  drew  his  client  forward  by  the  arm,  but 
not  before  "Solly"  had  thrust  into  Burr's  hand  a 
copy  of  the  "Millennial  Prophecy." 

"Awake  from  your  dreams!"  These  re- 
peated parting  words  of  the  crazy  prophet  stuck 
in  Burr's  memory. 


NOT  A  TRUE  BILL  277 

The  ordeal  of  a  legal  investigation  had  been  en- 
dured, apparently  without  scath  to  the  accused. 
The  grand  jury,  not  satisfied  with  acquitting 
Burr,  pressed  upon  him  a  written  declaration, 
signed  by  every  member,  exonerating  him  com- 
pletely. A  public  ball  was  given  in  his  honor. 
Exulting  in  his  triumph,  he  danced  and  made 
merry,  admired  by  the  chivalry  and  adored  by  the 
beauty  of  the  choicest  society  in  Frankfort  and 
Lexington. 

On  the  very  day  in  which  Daviess  moved  for  a 
process  to  compel  Burr's  appearance  before  the 
Frankfort  court,  a  woman  clothed  in  black  and 
closely  veiled  was  granted  an  interview  with  the 
President  of  the  United  States,  in  his  private  of- 
fice at  Washington  City.  She  came  from  Phila- 
delphia, and  appeared  to  have  no  acquaintance  in 
the  new  capital  on  the  Potomac.  She  declined 
to  unveil  her  face  or  to  impart  her  name. 

"I  am  here  to  put  into  the  hands  of  the  Presi- 
dent a  written  statement,  accompanied  by  copies 
of  letters  and  other  documents,  revealing  the  se- 
cret plans  of  a  conspirator,  who,  if  not  quickly  ar- 
rested in  his  career  of  treason,  will  disrupt  this 
Union  and  establish  a  rival  government  in  the 
Southwest." 

The  President  mechanically  accepted  the  pack- 
age handed  him,  and  the  mysterious  woman  left 
his  apartment,  re-entered  her  carriage,  and  or- 
dered the  driver  to  take  the  road  back  toward 
Philadelphia. 


XXIII. 

THE  FATAL  CIPHER. 

THE  disgruntled  Spaniards  continued  to 
threaten  war.  Governor  Claiborne  ordered  Casco 
Calvo  and  Intendant  Morales  to  quit  the  territory 
of  New  Orleans.  Soon  after  this  a  body  of  Span- 
ish troops,  supported  by  Indian  allies,  assembled 
on  the  Sabine  to  menace  the  American  borders. 
In  August  a  force  actually  crossed  the  Sabine  and 
advanced  to  Bayou  Pierre,  near  Natchitoches,  a 
hundred  and  twenty  miles  west  of  Natchez. 

General  Wilkinson  came  from  St.  Louis  to 
Natchez,  and  presently  advanced  to  Natchitoches 
at  the  head  of  a  body  of  one  hundred  regulars  and 
five  hundred  militia.  Late  one  afternoon  in  Oc- 
tober word  was  brought  to  Wilkinson  in  his  tent 
that  a  young  man  of  fine  appearance  had  arrived 
in  camp,  desiring  to  enlist  as  a  volunteer.  The 
general  gave  orders  to  bring  the  man  into  his 
presence.  The  would-be  soldier  was  conducted 
immediately  to  headquarters,  and  there  he  im- 
parted his  name  and  the  real  cause  of  his  coming, 
his  representation  to  the  sentinel  being  a  ruse. 

"Ah,  you  are  Colonel  Burr's  confidential  secre- 
tary; you  have  travelled  far  and  must  be  ex- 
hausted. You  bring  documents  for  me  ?" 


THE  FATAL  CIPHER          279 

"Yes,  sir;  my  credentials  are  included  with 
matters  more  important." 

"You  know  the  contents  of  the  enclosure?" 

"Only  the  general  import.  The  sender  of 
these  missives  has  divulged  much  to  me.  You 
may  trust  me." 

"I  trust  you  implicitly,  Mr.  Swartwout.  The 
embassy  on  which  you  come  is  of  a  delicate  char- 
acter, requiring  discretion — as  secret  service  al- 
ways does." 

The  general  opened  the  package,  and  found  that 
it  contained  three  separate  papers.  The  first  was 
a  letter  introducing  Samuel  Swartwout,  and 
vouching  for  his  prudence,  courage  and  trust- 
worthiness. The  other  two  papers  were  in  hiero- 
glyphics. Wilkinson,  smiling  graciously,  turned 
to  the  messenger. 

"Perhaps  I  had  best  be  alone  while  I  examine 
the  other  documents.  I  will  see  that  you  are 
made  comfortable." 

An  officer  was  summoned.  "Captain  Danvers, 
this  gentleman  is  my  guest.  Please  see  that  he  is 
suitably  quartered  and  provided  with  a  seat  at 
my  table.  He  is  the  son  of  an  old  military  ac- 
quaintance of  mine." 

The  cipher  agreed  upon  by  Wilkinson  and 
Burr  was  a  composite  of  arbitrary  signs  and  of 
numerals  representing  letters  of  the  alphabet.  The 
first  riddle  read  by  Wilkinson  was  a  private  let- 
ter to  Burr  from  General  Dayton.  Part  of  the 


280        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

contents  ran  thus:  "Under  the  auspices  of  Burr 
and  Wilkinson,  I  shall  be  happy  to  engage,  and 
when  the  time  arrives,  you  will  find  me  near  you. 
Write  and  inform  me,  by  first  mail,  what  may  be 
expected  from  you  and  your  associates  .... 
Wealth  and  honor,  courage  and  union,  Burr  and 
Wilkinson !  Adieu." 

The  other  communication  was  from  Burr  him- 
self. 

"Your  letter,  postmarked  I3th  May,  is  re- 
ceived. At  length  I  have  obtained  funds  and  have 
actually  commenced.  The  eastern  detachments 
from  different  points,  and  under  different  pre- 
tences, will  rendezvous  on  the  Ohio,  ist  of  No- 
vember. Everything  internal  and  external  favors 
our  views.  Naval  protection  of  England  is  se- 
cured. Truxton  is  going  to  Jamaica,  to  arrange 
with  the  admiral  on  that  station.  It  will  meet  us 
at  the  Mississippi.  England,  a  navy  of  the  United 
States,  are  ready  to  join,  and  final  orders  are 
given  to  my  friends  and  followers.  It  will  be  a 
host  of  choice  spirits.  Wilkinson  shall  be  second 
to  Burr  only,  and  Wilkinson  shall  dictate  the  rank 
and  promotion  of  his  officers.  Burr  will  proceed 
westward  ist  of  August,  never  to  return.  With 
him  go  daughter  and  grandson.  The  husband 
will  follow  in  October,  with  a  corps  of  worthies. 
Send  forwith  an  intelligent  friend,  with  whom 
Burr  may  confer.  He  shall  return  immediately 
with  further  interesting  details;  this  is  essential 


THE  FATAL  CIPHER          281 

to  harmony  and  concert  of  movement.  Send  a 
list  of  all  persons  known  to  Wilkinson  west  of  the 
Alleghany  Mountains,  who  could  be  useful,  with 
a  note  delineating  their  character.  By  your  mes- 
senger send  me  four  or  five  of  the  commissions  of 
your  officers,  which  you  can  borrow  under  any 
pretence  you  please.  They  shall  be  returned  faith- 
fully. Already  are  orders  given  to  the  contractor 
to  forward  six  months'  provisions  to  points  Wil- 
kinson may  name ;  this  shall  not  be  used  until  the 
last  moment,  and  then  under  proper  injunctions. 
Our  project,  my  dear  friend,  is  brought  to  a  point 
so  long  desired.  Burr  guarantees  the  result  with 
his  life  and  honor,  with  the  lives  and  honor  and 
the  fortunes  of  hundreds,  the  best  blood  of  our 
country.  Burr's  plan  of  operation  is  to  move 
down  rapidly,  from  the  falls,  on  the  I5th  of  No- 
vember, with  the  first  five  hundred  or  thousand 
men,  in  light  boats  now  constructing  for  that  pur- 
pose, to  be  at  Natchez  between  the  5th  and  I5th 
of  December,  there  to  meet  you,  there  to  deter- 
mine whether  it  will  be  expedient  in  the  first  in- 
stance to  seize  on,  or  pass  by,  Baton  Rouge 
...  on  receipt  of  this  send  Burr  an  answer  .  .  . 
draw  on  Burr  for  all  expenses,  etc.  The  people 
of  the  country  to  which  we  are  going  are  pre- 
pared to  receive  us;  their  agents,  now  with 
Burr,  say  that  if  we  will  protect  their  religion  and 
will  not  subject  them  to  a  foreign  power,  that  in 
three  weeks  all  will  be  settled.  The  gods  invite  us 


282         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

to  glory  and  fortune;  it  remains  to  be  seen 
whether  we  deserve  the  boon.  The  bearer  of  this 
goes  express  to  you ;  he  will  hand  a  formal  letter 
of  introduction  to  you,  from  Burr ;  he  is  a  man  of 
inviolable  honor  and  perfect  discretion,  formed 
to  execute  rather  than  project,  capable  of  relating 
facts  with  fidelity,  and  incapable  of  relating  them 
otherwise.  He  is  thoroughly  informed  of  the 
plans  and  intentions  of  .  .  .  ,  and  will  dis- 
close to  you,  as  far  as  you  inquire,  and  no  further ; 
he  has  imbibed  a  reverence  for  your  character,  and 
may  be  embarrassed  in  your  presence ;  put  him  at 
ease,  and  he  will  satisfy  you." 

The  eastern  sky  was  flushed  faintly  with  morn- 
ing red  before  the  general  finished  deciphering 
this  long  message.  Wilkinson  saw  that  he  could 
no  longer  maintain  an  equivocal  attitude,  but 
must  either  yield  positively  to  Burr's  proposals 
or  denounce  them.  Early  in  the  day  he  sum- 
moned the  messenger  to  his  tent  for  a  private 
interview. 

"My  dear  sir,"  said  the  general,  "you  should  be 
proud  to  be  recommended  by  such  a  man,  in  such 
language.  Burr  has  absolute  confidence  in  your 
honor,  fidelity,  veracity  and  courage." 

Swartwout  answered  with  feeling  and  dignity. 

"I  hope  I  may  prove  myself  worthy  of  his  con- 
fidence and  of  yours.  I  would  not  hesitate  to  risk 
my  life  for  Colonel  Burr  or  for  his  best  friend, 
General  Wilkinson." 


THE  FATAL  CIPHER          283 

"That  is  very  noble  of  you.  Tell  me,  now  that 
you  are  rested  and  refreshed  after  your  long  jour- 
ney, by  what  route  did  you  come  ?" 

"I  came  straight  from  Pittsburg,  thence  west- 
ward through  Ohio  and  Kentucky  to  Louisville, 
and  from  there  on  to  St.  Louis,  expecting  to  find 
you  at  that  post.  Learning  that  you  had  gone 
down  the  Mississippi  I  followed  in  a  skiff.  I  have 
been  more  than  two  months  on  the  way  from  Phil- 
adelphia to  Natchitoches  and  have  travelled  fully 
fifteen  hundred  miles." 

"The  document  in  your  custody  justified  the 
difficult  journey,  Mr.  Swartwout.  What  infor- 
mation did  you  gather  in  the  progress  of  your 
trip,  concerning  our  preparations  ?" 

"I  learned  that,  with  the  support  of  a  power- 
ful association  extending  from  New  York  to  New 
Orleans,  Colonel  Burr  is  levying  an  armed  body 
of  seven  thousand  men,  with  the  view  of  carrying 
an  expedition  against  the  Mexican  provinces. 
Five  hundred  men  are  to  descend  the  Alleghany, 
for  whose  accommodation  boats  are  ready." 

"What  will  be  the  course  of  action?" 

"This  territory  will  be  revolutionized.  Some 
property  will  be  seized  in  New  Orleans,  I  suppose. 
Our  boats  will  be  ready  to  leave  in  February  for 
Vera  Cruz ;  the  troops  will  march  from  there  to 
the  City  of  Mexico." 

"Does  Colonel  Burr  know  there  are  several  mil- 
lions of  dollars  in  the  Bank  of  New  Orleans?" 


284        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"We  know  that  full  well." 

"Is  it  the  intention  to  seize  upon  the  deposits  of 
private  individuals  ?" 

"We  mean  to  borrow,  not  to  violate  private 
property.  We  must  equip  ourselves  in  New  Or- 
leans ;  we  expect  naval  protection  from  Great  Brit- 
ain. Of  course,  general,  everything  depends 
upon  your  co-operation." 

"Mr.  Swartwout,  the  plans  set  forth  in  Colonel 
Burr's  schedule  are  admirable!  You  will  readily 
perceive,  however,  that  my  part  in  carrying  them 
into  effect  must  be  manipulated  with  caution. 
I  am  surrounded,  as  you  see,  by  officers  whom  I 
must  manage  discreetly.  It  is  impossible  that  I 
should  ever  dishonor  my  commission.  If  I  cannot 
join  in  the  expedition,  the  engagements  which  the 
Spaniards  have  prepared  for  me  in  my  front 
might  prevent  my  opposing  your  operations.  Do 
you  understand  me?" 

Burr's  agent  understood.  He  interpreted  Wil- 
kinson's language  to  mean  much  more  than  it 
said,  attributing  to  the  commander  a  profound 
sagacity  which  imposed  reticence  for  causes  be- 
yond an  ordinary  man's  ken.  His  unsuspicious 
mind  had  been  schooled  by  Burr  to  believe  im- 
plicitly in  Wilkinson. 

Swartwout  was  under  engagement  to  join  Burr 
at  Nashville,  and  he  pressed  for  a  letter  which  he 
might  deliver  to  his  chief.  This  request  Wilk- 
inson evaded.  Promising  to  return  Burr  a 


THE  FATAL  CIPHER          285 

speedy  answer,  he  detained  the  envoy  under  vari- 
ous pretexts,  bestowing  upon  him  every  hospitable 
attention,  and  finally  dismissed  him  with  oral  mes- 
sages, after  having  consumed  ten  days  of  his  time. 

Three  days  subsequent  to  the  departure  of 
Swartwout  another  messenger,  as  secret  and  more 
swift,  was  dispatched  from  Natchitoches,  bearing 
to  Washington  City  from  the  commander-in- 
chief ,  a  full  disclosure  of  the  plans  of  conspiracy, 
and  fastening  the  charge  of  treason  on  Aaron 
Burr.  All  the  machinery  of  civil  and  military  exec- 
utive power  was  put  in  motion  in  the  districts 
over  which  Wilkinson's  authority  extended. 

The  information  forwarded  by  Wilkinson's 
messenger  reached  Washington  City  November 
25,  1806.  It  was  by  no  means  the  only  evidence 
the  President  had  received,  impeaching  the 
loyalty  of  the  eminent  politician.  Daviess  had 
written,  and  Morgan  had  written,  and  the  veiled 
witness  in  black  had  come  in  person  with  the  facts 
reiterated  in  Wilkinson's  letter  of  exposure. 

The  President  issued  a  proclamation,  "warn- 
ing and  enjoining  those  who  had  been  led  to  par- 
ticipate in  the  unlawful  enterprise,  to  withdraw 
without  delay,  and  requiring  all  officers,  civil  and 
military,  of  any  one  of  the  States  or  Territories, 
to  be  vigilant,  each  within  his  respective  depart- 
ment, in  searching  out  and  bringing  to  punish- 
ment all  persons  engaged  or  concerned  in  the 
undertaking." 


XXIV. 

THE  MIDNIGHT  DEPARTURE. 

THE  first  snowstorm  of  early  winter  was  whirl- 
ing its  flaky  showers  over  the  frozen  fields  and 
through  the  naked  woods  of  Bacchus  Island.  The 
short  day  was  nearing  a  dismal  close.  Harman 
Blennerhassett  paced  uneasily  to  and  fro  within 
the  narrow  confines  of  his  study.  His  face  was 
haggard,  his  general  aspect  that  of  a  man  har- 
assed and  hopeless.  Yet  he  seemed  idle  and 
without  sense  of  responsibility  for  the  future. 
His  air  indicated  irresolution,  ennui,  mild  dis- 
gust of  the  world  and  of  himself.  He  took 
down  Homer,  brushed  the  dust  from  the  covers, 
and  then  replaced  the  volume  on  its  shelf.  He 
gave  the  glass  cylinder  of  his  electrical  machine 
a  turn  or  two,  and  was  for  the  moment  gratified  to 
elicit  a  faint  spark,  a  feeble  snap  of  blue  fire,  which 
clicked  from  the  "receiver"  to  his  knuckles.  His 
eye  dwelt  fondly  for  a  few  seconds  on  the  air- 
pump,  but  wandered  from  that  to  the  telescope, 
and  finally  took  cognizance  of  an  apparatus  for 
weighing  heavy  articles.  This  was  provided  with 
a  small  platform,  upon  which  the  recluse  philoso- 
pher stepped,  to  determine  his  exact  weight.  He 
was  busied  in  this  personal  experiment,  when  a 


THE  MIDNIGHT  DEPARTURE    287 

visitor  was  announced  and  ushered  into  his 
sanctum  sanctorum. 

"I  beg  pardon !  Do  I  intrude?"  said  the  caller, 
a  man  of  official  bearing,  who  gave  the  name  of 
Graham. 

"Not  in  the  least,  Mr.  Graham.  I  have  been 
taking  my  weight,  and  I  beg  you  to  excuse  me 
until  I  note  the  precise  number  of  pounds  and 
ounces.  My  memory  is  treacherous.  I  make  it  a 
rule  to  ascertain  my  weight  and  my  height  sev- 
eral times  a  year,  but  I  can  never  remember  either, 
an  hour  after.  I  actually  forget  the  date  of  my 
own  birthday  and  how  old  I  am." 

"That  is  owing,  doubtless,  to  the  fact  that  your 
mind  is  absorbed  in  important  things."  said 
Graham,  not  very  tactfully.  "I  make  bold  to 
come  to  your  house,  Mr.  Blennerhassett,  unin- 
vited, but  not  without  warrant.  You  are,  I  am 
informed,  a  partner  of  Aaron  Burr  in  certain  en- 
terprises now  much  talked  of.  It  is  of  this  Wa- 
chita  expedition  that  I  wish  to  speak  with  you." 

"Speak  freely,  Mr.  Graham.  Colonel  Burr  in- 
timated that  you  would  probably  join  us.  Here 
are  letters  giving  recent  information.  Read  for 
yourself." 

Graham  glanced  over  a  number  of  communica- 
tions containing  secrets  that  Blennerhassett, 
had  he  been  a  man  of  ordinary  forethought, 
would  not  have  trusted  out  of  his  own 
hands.  Among  the  letters  was  one  from 


288         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Burr,  giving  a  brief  account  of  his  troubles  in 
Frankfort.  "You  perceive,  my  dear  sir,"  so  ran 
the  lines,  "that  this  step  will  embarrass  me  in  my 
project  of  the  Wachita  settlement,  and  will  de- 
prive me  of  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  at  your  own 
house."  Graham  smiled  gravely  at  the  guileless 
simplicity  of  the  man  who  had  not  hesitated  to 
take  a  stranger  into  his  confidence,  unquestioned 
and  unsuspected. 

"It  is  my  duty,  as  a  man  of  honor,  to  unde- 
ceive you,  Mr.  Blennerhassett.  I  have  no  inten- 
tion of  joining  your  expedition.  The  fact  is,  I  am 
here,  not  to  aid  and  abet  you,  but  the  reverse.  I 
come  commissioned,  as  the  agent  of  the  Federal 
Government,  and  my  duty  is  to  prevent  the  exe- 
cution of  Burr's  designs.  Do  you  not  know  that 
orders  have  been  issued  for  the  civil  authorities 
to  interfere  with  your  plans?" 

Blennerhassett  opened  his  eyes  wide,  with  a 
stupefied  stare. 

"Then  you  are  not  one  of  us?  I  was  told  that 
you  were  a  leader  in  the  New  Orleans  Association 
for  the  invasion  of  Mexico.  The  printer  of  the 
Gazette  d'Orleans  informed  me  that  three  hun- 
dred men  had  joined  the  company." 

"There  is  not  a  word  of  truth  in  the  report.  I 
am  an  officer  of  the  Government,  but  I  have  no 
desire  to  molest  misguided  people.  My  motive  in 
coming  through  this  snowstorm  to  you  to-day  is 
friendly.  I  want  to  save  your  family  and  you 


THE  MIDNIGHT  DEPARTURE    289 

from  disaster.  I  hope  to  dissuade  you  from  your 
present  purpose.  You  are  misinformed — de- 
luded." 

The  lord  of  the  isle  plucked  up  spirit  and  re- 
plied haughtily: 

"I  thank  you  for  your  good  intentions  toward 
me  and  my  family,  though  your  coming  is  inop- 
portune, not  to  say  impertinent.  We  know  our 
own  affairs.  Colonel  Burr  and  myself  are,  I  con- 
ceive, sufficiently  experienced  in  business,  and 
well  enough  informed  in  law,  to  know  what  we 
are  about.  The  interference  of  local  officials 
I  shall  resent,  and  if  necessary,  prosecute.  As 
for  yourself,  you  have  not  shown  your  cre- 
dentials. I  trust  you  will  have  the  honor  not  to 
magnify  or  distort  any  information  I  may  have 
inadvertently  exposed  to  your  scrutiny.  I  wish 
you  farewell.  Shall  I  send  one  of  my  servants  to 
conduct  you  to  the  wharf?" 

The  official,  who  was  really  sincere  in  all  that 
he  had  said,  left  the  house  and  the  premises  in 
rather  bad  temper,  yet  he  cherished  no  resentment 
on  account  of  the  rebuff. 

No  sooner  was  Graham  gone  than  Blennerhas- 
sett's  courage  collapsed.  He  flung  himself  into  a 
big  chair,  and  yielded  to  the  pressure  of  despon- 
dency. His  wife  came  into  the  study  and  discov- 
ered him  with  his  head  bowed  upon  his  hands. 

"Husband,  what  ails  you?" 

"Oh,  Maggie,  Maggie — we  have  been  deceived. 


290        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

I  fear  Colonel  Burr  has  not  told  me  all  he  should 
have  told.  We  must  go  no  farther  in  this  enter- 
prise." He  went  on  to  tell  what  had  passed  be- 
tween himself  and  Graham,  and  ended  his  lament 
by  saying :  "I  am  worried  to  death !  Half  my  for- 
tune is  already  squandered!  We  must  think  of 
the  boys;  we  must  stop  further  expenditure,  be- 
fore we  have  lost  all." 

The  wife  stood  erect,  unshaken,  firm  almost  to 
rigidity.  A  white  heat  of  resolute  energy  burnt 
in  every  capillary  of  her  nerved  body. 

"Give  up  nothing!  Carry  out  the  original 
plans  decided  upon  here  in  this  library.  We  ex- 
pected difficulties — we  shall  overcome  them.  All 
great  enterprises  are  difficult.  What  do  we  care 
for  the  prattling  of  this  Graham?  Now  is  our 
time  to  act.  We  must  do  our  own  thinking.  Burr 
is  not  here  to  direct,  and  if  he  were,  I  would  not 
trouble  him  with  details.  Why  play  a  secondary 
part  ?  You  are  as  wise  a  man  as  he  is,  and  you  are 
my  husband.  You  have  spent  money — spend 
more!  To  abandon  the  enterprise  is  to  throw 
away  your  chances,  all  your  past  expenditures, 
and  all  your  labor." 

"But,  my  dear  wife — " 

"Harman,  this  is  not  a  time  for  ifs  and  buts. 
Hasten  your  preparations.  Bring  the  boats  down 
from  Marietta.  Keep  every  engagement  with 
Burr,  and  join  him  at  the  mouth  of  the  Cumber- 
land at  the  appointed  time.  Whoever  weakens, 


THE  MIDNIGHT  DEPARTURE    291 

let  not  you  and  me  do  so.  Remember  the  pledges 
made  to  and  by  us,  and  bear  yourself  as  becomes 
the  man  chosen  to  be  Minister  to  the  Court  of  St. 
James." 

What  spur  more  sharp  than  a  beautiful 
woman's  appeal  to  a  proud  man's  vanity?  Blen- 
nerhassett  hastened  every  preparation  for  the  for- 
warding of  provisions,  ammunition,  arms,  and 
men.  Night  and  day  the  busy  work  went  on. 
Skiffs  flitted  in  and  out  of  the  secluded  cove, 
fetching  and  carrying  supplies  or  recruits.  Skil- 
ful hands  folded  cartridges  and  manipulated  the 
bullet-mould  in  the  light  and  heat  of  the  kitchen 
fire — even  the  slender  fingers  of  the  mistress 
shared  in  this  significant  task. 

The  time  came  for  bringing  the  fifteen  bat- 
teaux  from  the  shipyard  on  the  Muskingum, 
where  Byle  had  heard  the  clatter  of  saw  and  ham- 
mer. But  when  Blennerhassett's  tardy  employees 
made  an  attempt  to  get  the  boats,  they  were  frus- 
trated by  the  civil  and  military  authorities  of 
Marietta.  Only  a  single  batteau  was  brought 
down.  Jefferson's  proclamation  was  producing 
its  intended  effect.  The  country  had  awakened 
to  a  sense  of  public  danger.  The  militia  was  called 
out  in  Ohio  and  a  rumor  came  to  Blennerhassett 
that  Colonel  Phelps,  at  the  head  of  the  militia  of 
Wood  County,  Virginia,  was  about  to  cross  over 
to  the  island,  seize  whatever  supplies  might  be 
found  there,  and  arrest  the  proprietor. 


292         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

The  islanders  were  alarmed.  There  was  no 
time  to  waste.  Nevertheless,  the  head  of  the 
household  hesitated — dawdled.  The  crisis  para- 
lyzed his  energy.  It  was  an  imperative  duty,  now, 
for  his  wife  to  make  up  his  mind  and  to  make  it 
up  strong.  Her  will  was  adequate.  She  took 
command  of  the  domestic  ship,  captain  and  crew. 
Peter  Taylor  hung  around  his  master  deprecat- 
ingly;  she  sent  him  to  Belpre  on  an  errand.  Al- 
bright, the  dairyman,  spoke  disparagingly ;  she  or- 
dered him  to  look  after  the  cows.  She  put  an  arm 
round  her  wavering  lord,  and  drew  him  into  his 
favorite  retreat,  the  library. 

"You  must  embark  to-night  or  lose  your  lib- 
erty, possibly  your  life.  The  trunks  are  packed — 
everything  is  ready!  We  must  be  brave,  as  an 
example  to  the  children."  While  she  spoke  Dom- 
inick  knocked  at  the  door.  "May  I  come  in, 
mamma?  I  want  to  go  along  with  papa;  I  want 
to  go  along  to  Mexico !"  The  mother  gently 
pushed  him  from  the  room.  Tears  were  in  the 
eyes  of  both  parents. 

"Margaret,  ought  I  leave  them  and  you  unpro- 
tected?" She  kissed  him  on  the  forehead  and 
pressed  his  tremulous  hand. 

"Have  no  fear.  I  shall  be  safe.  To-morrow 
we  will  follow  you.  Now  make  haste  and  com- 
plete your  final  preparations.  Tell  your  men  just 
what  to  do.  We  know  not  the  instant  that  Colonel 
Phelps  may  come  to  arrest  you."  Blennerhassett 


THE  MIDNIGHT  DEPARTURE    293 

assured  his  wife  that  everything  had  been  at- 
tended to,  and  that  he  was  ready,  at  a  moment's 
warning,  to  start  for  his  boat,  which  lay  waiting 
by  the  shore.  Night  came  on,  however,  and  still 
the  fond  husband  and  father  lingered.  The  snow 
was  falling  in  the  outer  darkness,  and  the  wind 
howled  through  the  long  avenue  of  the  portico. 
No  wonder  the  easy-going  devotee  of  luxury 
shrank  from  stepping  into  the  bleak  night,  to  navi- 
gate a  scow  down  the  rough,  icy  current  of  the 
Ohio.  Against  his  wife's  protest  he  took  up  the 
violincello  and  began  to  tune  up  its  three  remain- 
ing strings.  Touching  the  chords  lightly 
with  the  bow,  he  attempted  to  play  "Auld  Lang 
Syne."  A  confused  noise  in  the  direction  of  the 
river  stopped  the  plaintive  music. 

"Now  you  must  start;  I  will  go  along  to  the 
river's  edge,  and  see  you  safe  aboard." 

Blennerhassett  hurried  to  the  bedroom  of  his 
boys.  Little  Harman  was  asleep.  The  father 
kissed  the  favorite  child,  and  then  embraced 
Dominick. 

"Be  a  good  boy,  Nicky.  Mamma  will  soon 
bring  you  to  me  again." 

Voices  were  heard  shouting,  somewhere,  in  the 
distance.  When  Madam  Blennerhassett  opened 
the  hall  door  to  go  forth  with  her  husband,  a  dash 
of  snow  was  driven  into  her  face  by  the  insolent 
wind.  Arm  in  arm  went  the  pair,  through  the 
drift  which  heaped  the  dooryard  path  and  covered 


294        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  flower  beds.  They  saw  a  fire  which  a  squad  of 
the  recruits  had  kindled  near  the  river,  to  warm 
their  numb  hands.  The  flickering  blaze  made  fan- 
tastic lights  and  shadows  among  the  gaunt  bare 
trees.  Just  beyond  the  limits  of  the  snow  could 
be  seen  the  broad  Ohio. 

"How  sullen  the  black  flood  looks !"  thought 
the  woman. 

"Do  you  hear  the  water  swash  against  the  logs 
along  the  shore?"  said  Blennerhassett. 

The  couple  made  straight  for  the  camp-fire, 
breaking  a  track.  The  dry  leaves  under  the  snow, 
when  trodden  on,  gave  back  a  muffled  rustle. 
Near  the  fire  stood  a  group  of  a  dozen  men,  with 
guns  in  their  hands. 

"Who  are  these ?  Are  they  militia-men?  Will 
they  arrest  you?  O  Harman,  my  dearest!" 

"They  are  my  own  people !"  answered  the 
husband. 

The  words  had  scarcely  passed  his  lips  when  a 
figure  emerged  from  the  hollow  of  a  huge  syca- 
more, and  advanced  to  intercept  the  coming 
party.  A  powerful  man  clapped  his  hand  on  Blen- 
nerhassett's  shoulder. 

"Harman  Blennerhassett,  I  arrest  you  in  the 
name  and  by  the  authority  of  the  State  of  Ohio." 

"The  hell  you  do!"  a  gruff  voice  responded 
from  the  group  of  armed  men,  who  instantly 
levelled  their  guns  at  the  intruder. 

"Take  your  hands  off  that  man,  and  take  your- 


THE  MIDNIGHT  DEPARTURE    295 

self  away,  or  we  will  blow  your  damned  brains 
out!" 

"Don't  shoot!  don't  shoot!"  cried  the  foiled 
agent  of  the  State  of  Ohio,  taken  by  surprise. 
"You  won't  be  rash  enough  to  kill  an  old  army 
officer,  will  you?" 

"We  will  be  rash  enough  to  shoot  any  man 
who  interferes  with  our  affairs.  Who  the  devil 
are  you  ?" 

"I  am  General  Tupper." 

He  came  forward,  into  the  light  of  the  fire, 
and  was  recognized  by  several. 

"You  say  you  represent  the  State  of  Ohio/' 
Blennerhassett  faltered.  "This  island  belongs  to 
the  State  of  Virginia ;  you  have  no  business  here." 

"Blow  his  head  off!"  growled  one  of  the 
guards,  and  again  the  recruits  covered  the  spy 
with  their  muskets. 

"For  God's  sake,  men,  don't  fire!  Upon  my 
word  and  honor,  I  came  here  with  good  intent. 
All  Marietta  is  friendly  to  you,  Mr.  Blennerhas- 
sett. Can't  you  be  persuaded  to  give  up  your 
rash  design  ?  You  are  rushing  to  your  own  ruin." 

"Put  down  your  guns,"  commanded  Blenner- 
hassett. 

"Time  is  flying,"  whispered  the  wife,  impa- 
tiently. "Let  them  scare  him  away." 

"If  you  delay  us  longer,  General  Tupper,  I  can- 
not be  answerable  for  what  my  men  may  do." 


196        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

The  cocking  of  a  gun  warned  the  well-inten- 
tioned officer  to  hurry  away. 

"Farewell,"  he  shouted  back,  "I  wish  you  a  safe 
escape  down  the  river,  and  a  fortunate  adven- 
ture." 

The  speech  was  answered  by  a  yell  of  derision 
from  the  boatmen  as  they  leapt  on  board  the  bat- 
teau,  muskets  in  hand. 

"Good-bye,  my  love,"  whispered  Blennerhas- 
sett,  clasping  his  wife  in  a  parting  embrace. 

"Good-bye,  dear!"  she  said,  and  kissed  him. 
"Be  strong!  Be  brave!  All  will  end  well.  God 
bless  you !  Think  of  a  glorious  future !" 

She  turned  to  go,  looked  back,  turned  again 
from  the  icy  margin  of  the  river,  and  started 
homeward;  but,  after  taking  a  few  steps,  she 
again  stopped  and  stood  a  minute,  shivering,  and 
weeping  under  the  bare  boughs  of  the  great  oak 
tree  beneath  which  Burr  had  read  aloud  to  her  one 
of  her  own  sentimental  poems.  Groaning  in  spirit, 
and  heart-stung  by  pangs  of  self-reproach,  she 
hurried  up  the  slope  of  the  carriage  road  alone. 

Through  the  drifting  snow  the  brave  woman 
returned  to  her  house,  which,  seen  dimly  through 
a  veil  of  falling  flakes,  had  looked  to  her  from  a 
distance  like  an  unsubstantial  pile; — a  phantom 
habitation  for  spectres.  As  she  entered  its  dark 
hall  the  Geneva  clock  struck  twelve. 


XXV. 

HEROINE  AND  HERO. 

BLENNERHASSETT  was  afloat  to  join  Burr.  The 
management  of  the  affairs  of  the  island  devolved 
upon  his  wife.  In  the  sole  care  of  one  woman 
were  left  houses  and  land,  man  and  beast,  domes- 
tic duties  at  home  and  business  transactions 
abroad.  Her  children  required  constant  atten- 
tion, and  the  servants,  bond  and  free,  for  the  most 
part  lazy,  evasive,  and  insubordinate — spoilt  by 
the  inefficiency  of  a  vacillating  master — were  hard 
to  govern  or  to  please.  Peter  Taylor  was  in- 
sidious, but  plausible;  Albright,  obstinate;  the 
negroes,  with  few  exceptions,  "something  be- 
tween a  hindrance  and  a  help." 

On  returning  to  her  house  at  midnight,  hav- 
ing just  seen  her  husband  embark,  the  vigilant 
wife  and  mother  did  not  bury  her  troubles  in 
sleep.  The  urgent  demands  of  a  crisis  not  to  be 
postponed  forbade  slumber.  The  words  of  Gen- 
eral Tupper  rang  in  her  ears :  "I  arrest  you  by  the 
authority  of  the  State  of  Ohio."  That  her  peace 
and  liberty  would  soon  be  threatened,  if  not  taken 
from  her,  by  civil  or  by  military  force,  she  had 
much  reason  to  fear;  that  her  island  retreat  was 
already  invaded  by  scouts  from  the  Virginia 
militia  she  did  not  surmise.  "How  I  wish  I 


298         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

were  a  man,"  she  said  to  herself,  and  sat  down  to 
think  how  a  man  in  her  situation  would  act. 
Whatever  may  have  been  the  sex  of  her  brain, 
her  mind  worked  swiftly,  both  to  decide  and 
to  will.  "I  shall  go  to  Marietta,"  was  her  mental 
conclusion,  "and  make  another  effort  to  secure  the 
family  boat  for  my  children  and  myself.  It  be- 
longs to  my  husband ;  he  paid  for  it  from  his  own 
private  purse;  I  will  claim  that  boat." 

The  tardy  sun,  peering  through  the  dense  fog 
of  the  following  morning-,  caught  a  first  glimpse 
of  Madam  Blennerhassett  when  she  dismounted 
near  Fort  Harmar,  and  asked  to  be  ferried  across 
the  Muskingum,  to  the  boatyard  on  the  eastern 
shore.  The  resolute  lady  sought  the  town  au- 
thorities of  Marietta — magistrates,  lawyers,  gen- 
erals, merchants,  common  laborers — whom  she 
importuned  to  intercede  in  her  behalf.  She  ar- 
gued, she  coaxed,  she  threatened,  she  tried  the 
persuasive  influence  of  bribes,  and  as  a  last  resort, 
she  summoned  tears  to  plead  her  cause — but  of  no 
avail — she  failed  to  obtain  the  boat.  Enraged, 
disappointed,  filled  with  anxious  forebodings,  she 
recrossed  the  Muskingum,  and  started  back  over 
the  road  which  leads  to  Belpre,  following  the 
windings  of  the  Ohio. 

During  her  absence  from  home  a  very  disagree- 
able surprise  was  preparing  for  her.  The  militia 
of  Wood  County,  Virginia,  crossed  over  to  the 
island  and  camped  on  the  most  eligible  grounds 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         299 

they  could  find,  the  premises  nearest  Blennerhas- 
sett's  buildings.  The  commander  of  this  reck- 
less and  undisciplined  infantry,  Colonel  Hugh 
Phelps,  did  not  appear  at  the  place  of  rendezvous 
until  late  in  the  day,  having  gone  on  a  reconnoi- 
tering  errand,  to  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha,  hop- 
ing to  intercept  Blennerhassett.  The  soldiers,  if 
a  name  so  honorable  can  be  applied  to  the  raw 
levy,  mustered  on  the  spur  of  the  moment,  as- 
sumed all  the  boisterous  swagger  which,  as  they 
imagined,  was  the  prerogative  of  the  citi- 
zen dressed  in  uniform  and  armed  with  musket. 
It  was  their  idea  that  a  soldier's  privilege  is  in- 
solence, and  the  badge  of  his  superiority,  self- 
importance.  The  captain  and  lieutenants  exer- 
cised slight  control  over  the  men  in  the  ranks,  who 
conceived  that  the  offices  had  gone  to  the  wrong 
men.  The  Wood  County  militia  regarded  itself 
as  an  "army  of  occupation,"  by  law  and  prece- 
dent warranted  in  abusing  a  brief  authority.  In- 
stead of  guarding  and  protecting  property  not 
their  own,  the  men  showed  their  patriotic  zeal  by 
mutilating  or  demolishing  the  results  of  Blenner- 
hassett's  labor.  They  took  malicious  pleasure  in 
wantonly  defacing  whatever  was  elegant  or  or- 
namental. They  tore  off  the  fence-palings  to 
build  their  camp-fires;  they  broke  down  young 
fruit  trees  and  pulled  up  evergreen  shrubs;  they 
ransacked  barns  and  outhouses,  stole  hoarded  ap- 
ples, killed  chickens,  and  frightened  the  negro 


300         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

slaves  out  of  their  small  wits.  Peter  Taylor  pro- 
tested in  vain;  the  roysterers  threatened  to  put 
Peter  in  the  guard-house  and  gag  him,  or  even  to 
"string  him  up,"  if  he  didn't  hold  his  tongue. 

The  butler  was  forced  to  produce  the  keys  to 
the  wine-cellar,  and  the  consequences  of  his  sur- 
render were  what  might  have  been  expected.  The 
mischief  already  perpetrated  in  coarse  fun — the 
horseplay  of  backwoods  big  boys  cut  loose  from 
restraint,  though  rude  and  destructive,  was 
harmless  compared  with  the  orgies  to  which  it 
was  a  prelude.  The  rich  and  abundant  liquors 
stored  away  to  supply  the  family  demand  for 
twenty  years  were  in  a  day  poured  down  the 
throats  of  the  pseudo-soldiers.  Under  the  influ- 
ence of  drink  many  of  the  privates,  and  not  a  few 
officers,  lost  all  sense  of  decency.  Some  of  the 
bolder  among  them  entered  the  house,  roamed 
through  kitchen,  parlor,  library,  bedrooms.  One 
drunken  lout  smashed  the  rare  violincello,  an- 
other brought  the  gilded  harp  out  into  the  barn- 
yard and  used  it  as  a  gridiron  on  which  to  roast 
a  confiscated  pig.  The  oil  portrait  of  Blennerhas- 
sett,  set  up  as  a  target,  was  riddled  with  bullets. 

Dominick  made  a  frantic  effort  to  rescue  his 
father's  picture  from  so  ignominious  a  fate,  but, 
cuffed  on  the  ear  by  a  bully,  the  boy  had  no  re- 
course except  to  hide  away  in  his  mother's  room 
with  Harman  and  the  black  housemaid,  Juno. 

Such  were  the  scenes  enacting  in  and  around 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         301 

her  beautiful  mansion,  while  the  disappointed  mis- 
tress was  hurrying  homeward.  A  heavy  fog  still 
hung  over  the  valley  and  almost  hid  the  sullen 
waters  of  the  river  from  view.  As  Madam  Blen- 
nerhassett  urged  her  horse  along  the  river  road, 
her  vigilant  eye  kept  her  aware  of  a  small  boat, 
which,  soon  after  her  starting  back  from  Marietta, 
she  had  seen  glide  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  Musk- 
ingum  and  drift  down  the  Ohio,  hugging  close  to 
the  north  shore.  Indistinctly,  through  the  mist, 
she  could  make  out  the  shape  of  a  man  rowing  the 
boat.  Whenever  she  quickened  the  pace  of  her 
horse,  the  man  plied  his  oars  rapidly;  whenever 
she  slackened  reins,  the  man  slowed  up;  he  kept 
opposite  her  and  was  watching  her.  Madam 
Blennerhassett  was  a  courageous  woman ;  but  she 
was  a  woman,  and  she  began  to  be  afraid.  Why 
was  that  man  furtively  following  her  down  the 
river?  Why  did  he  keep  her  constantly  in  sight? 
What  might  be  his  evil  design?  Her  terror  in- 
creased as  she  neared  the  ferry,  where  she  had  or- 
dered Peter  Taylor  and  Ransom,  the  negro,  to 
await  her  return.  Striking  her  steed  smartly  with 
the  riding  whip,  she  galloped  fast.  She  reached 
the  ferry  landing,  the  boat  was  there,  but  Peter 
Taylor,  in  whose  face  she  read  distressful  tidings, 
was  reluctant  to  carry  her  over. 

"Maybe,  mum,  you'd  best  stay  in  Belpre; 
there's  a  rough  set  on  the  island." 

"The  militia,  I  suppose,"  said  she.  "Make 
haste !  Take  me  to  my  children." 


302         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

Hesitatingly,  the  rowers  obeyed  their  mistress, 
whose  eyes  watchfully  pierced  the  fog,  in  every 
direction,  though  nothing  could  she  see  of  the 
sneaking  river-spy  or  of  his  canoe.  She  drew  a 
long  breath  of  relief,  and  turned  inquiringly  to 
Peter  Taylor. 

"Has  anything  gone  wrong?" 

"Heverything  'as  gone  wrong!" 

He  told  her  a  dismal  tale  of  the  doings  of  the 
militia,  dwelling  on  his  own  inglorious  sufferings. 
A  flush  reddened  his  mistress's  cheeks,  her  eyes 
flashed  and  her  heart  was  on  fire.  "Go  faster! 
Work  with  all  your  might !" 

The  white  man  and  his  black  helper  bent  hard 
to  their  poles,  and  brought  the  boat  speedily  to 
the  landing.  The  horse  was  led  ashore  and  its 
rider  sprang  into  the  saddle,  and  galloped  to  the 
door  of  her  house.  The  soldiers,  bivouacking  in 
the  front  yard,  stared  in  amazement  as  she  rode 
past.  In  a  minute,  in  a  second,  she  alighted  and 
swept  into  the  parlor,  where  six  or  eight  brawling 
intruders  sat  on  mahogany  chairs  and  upholstered 
sofas,  drinking  wine  and  singing  filthy  songs. 
One  fellow,  maudlin  from  liquor,  rolled  on  the 
Smyrna  rug.  Another  was  in  the  act  of  firing  a 
bullet  at  the  frescoed  ceiling. 

"Robbers!  Cowards!  Beasts!  Begone! 
Where  is  your  commanding  officer?  By  whose 
permission  are  you  here?  Young  man" — this  to 
a  captain — "you  wear  a  sword — draw  it  and 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         303 

drive  these  ruffians  out !  This  is  my  house.  You 
have  no  warrant  to  break  in,  like  a  band  of 
thieves." 

This  speech  and  the  imperious  bearing  of  the 
offended  woman  checked,  but  did  not  stop  the 
orgies  of  the  irresponsible  men.  A  few  slunk 
from  the  room,  ashamed  and  overawed.  But  the 
mob  spirit  was  not  to  be  quenched  by  an  angry 
lady's  lofty  speech.  The  brutal  element  prevailed. 
What  cared  those  intoxicated  revellers  for  a  scold- 
ing tongue  ?  The  young  captain,  his  head  swim- 
ming in  the  fumes  of  whiskey,  impudently  re- 
plied, "I'm  in  command  here  myself,  my  dear. 
When  Phelps  comes  back,  I'll  interduce  you  to 
him."  The  soldiers  yawped  applause.  In  the 
midst  of  the  uproar,  Juno,  the  house  servant,  ven- 
tured to  come  in  by  way  of  the  library,  with  Har- 
man.  The  child  ran  to  his  mother  where  she 
stood  in  the  centre  of  the  room.  A  saucy  cor- 
poral broke  out  with  obscene  speech  and  plucked 
at  the  dress  of  the  negro  girl,  imitating  the  af- 
frighted child. 

Again  the  mistress  made  a  vain  appeal : 
"Do  American  soldiers  abuse  women  ?" 
"A  nigger's  not  a  woman !"  hiccoughed  the  cor- 
poral, and  his  words  were  applauded  by  a  general 
guffaw. 

"Think  of  your  own  sisters  and  mothers  and 
wives !" 

"Wives!    That's  good!    How  many  wives  do 


304         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

you  s'pose  I've  got?  I  wish  to  hell  I  had  a 
bloomin'  wife  like  yerself.  Yer  man's  run  away, 
how  will  I  do  for  a  substitute  ?" 

"Shouldn't  wonder,"  interrupted  the  captain, 
"if  the  damned  Irish  traitor  was  lynched  by  this 
time." 

Madam  Blennerhassett  looked  around  implor- 
ingly and  supplicated : 

"I  am  alone  here  with  my  poor  children.  Will 
no  one  take  our  part  ?  Is  there  not  one  man  here 
who  will  defend  me  ?" 

A  drawling  voice  responded : 

"By  ginger-root,  there  is  sich  a  man.  Blast 
you,  you  forward  skunks,  git  out  of  this!  Say, 
you  woods-colt  with  the  humps  on  your  shoulders 
and  a  stalk-knife  by  your  side,  help  drive  these 
hogs  into  the  Ohio  River.  They've  got  more 
devils  in  'em  than  what's-his-name,  in  the  Holy 
Scripture,  cast  into  all  the  swine  of  Jerusalem. 
Git  out,  I  say,  you  knock-kneed  jackasses !" 

Loquacity  was  Byle's  riches,  but  he  could  trans- 
mute speech  into  action.  Instead  of  wasting 
words,  he  began  to  deliver  convincing  blows.  His 
first  stroke  sent  the  obscene  corporal  to  the  floor, 
minus  front  teeth  and  consciousness.  The  amazed 
captain  labored  to  unsheath  his  sword,  but  Byle 
snatched  the  rusty  weapon  and  thwacked  the 
young  scapegrace  over  the  pate  with  it.  A  rash 
rustic  drew  up  musket  and  fired ;  the  ball  grazed 
Plutarch's  right  thumb,  bringing  blood.  This  en- 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         305 

raged  the  doughty  champion  to  the  highest  pitch 
of  his  fighting  compass.  Rushing  upon  the  dis- 
mayed private,  he  seized  the  offending  musket 
with  both  hands,  and  snapped  stock  from  barrel 
by  suddenly  pressing  the  piece  against  his  bent 
knee.  So  impetuous  and  so  violent  and  so  general 
was  the  onslaught  of  Plutarch,  that  the  untried 
militiamen,  "flown  with  insolence  and  wine," 
were  taken  aback,  surprised  and  confounded. 
Seeing  his  advantage,  the  gaunt  giant  resumed 
bellicose  speech,  like  a  Greek  taunting  the  Tro- 
jans. 

"Bust  my  buttons,  bimeby  I'll  get  mad,  and 
hurt  some  of  you  'fore  I  know  what  I'm  about ! 
What  the  Holy  Moses  did  you  shoot  my  thumb 
for  ?  durn  you !  Don't  you  guess  I've  any  feelin', 
you  onery  idiot?  Needn't  be  skeered,  Margaret, 
I'll  make  ground  mustard  out  of  anybody  that 
dares  touch  a  hair  of  your  head  with  his  sass !" 

The  rout,  ignominiously  driven  from  the  par- 
lor by  the  vigorous  assaults  of  Byle,  imme- 
diately rallied,  in  the  yard,  ashamed  of  their  pre- 
cipitate panic  and  retreat.  The  humiliated  cap- 
tain gave  orders  to  a  file  of  men  to  enter  the 
house  and  take  the  champion,  alive  or  dead.  This 
command  might  have  been  executed  had  not 
Colonel  Phelps  come  upon  the  scene  unexpectedly. 
A  rapid  survey  of  the  premises,  a  few  inquiries, 
revealed  to  him  the  shameful  misbehavior  of  his 
officers  and  men.  Byle  freely  imparted  his  ver- 
sion of  how  matters  stood. 


3o6        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Colonel,  these  scandalous  boys  of  yourn  are 
guilty  of  burglary  in  open  daylight!  yes,  and  of 
unprovoked  'sault  and  batter,  prepense.  The 
law  is  on  our  side,  all  round.  The  citizen  has  an 
inalienable  right  to  defend  his  home  and  family, 
and  we  did,  didn't  we,  Harman  ?" 

Phelps  admitted  the  correctness  of  Plutarch's 
views.  To  the  captain  the  colonel  said  sternly: 

"Consider  yourself  under  arrest.  You  have 
disgraced  your  temporary  commission."  Ad- 
dressing the  derelict  soldiery,  he  added : 

"You  are  not  fit  to  carry  muskets !  Shame  upon 
you,  men,  shame !  You  have  soiled  the  name  of 
Virginia,  and  stained  the  honor  of  your  homes." 

"Say,  cap'n,"  resumed  Byle,  staunching  his 
bloody  thumb  with  the  fringe  of  his  buckskin 
doublet,  "you'd  best  trade  your  side  arms  for  this 
young  un's  tin  sword;  git  it  for  him,  bub;  and 
I'll  make  him  a  pop-gun  of  elder-wood.  Colonel 
Hugh  Phelps,  of  Parkurgberg,  how  are  you? 
Excuse  my  not  shaking  hands  sooner." 

Phelps  assumed  a  haughty  military  attitude, 
which  displayed  to  advantage  his  large  and  im- 
posing form.  "Who  is  this  person?"  he  asked 
the  captain. 

"Jersey  cranberries!  Don't  you  know  me? 
I've  heard  of  the  Phelpses  ever  since  I  was  knee- 
high  to  a  duck.  They  are  folks  nobody  need  feel 
ticklish  about  shaking  hands  with.  You're  the 
only  swelled  up  one  of  the  stock.  I  never  knowed 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         307 

but  one  wuthless  Phelp,  and  he  was  a  good  enough 
fisher  when  he  was  sober.  Colonel,  were  you  ever 
picked  up  by  puttin'  out  your  paw  to  the  wrong 
man?  Want  to  see  inside  the  'stablishment ? 
Come  right  in,  I'll  introduce  you  to  Mrs.  Blenner- 
hassett." 

The  colonel  pushed  forward  through  the  open 
door  and  accosted  the  dignified  lady,  who  was  tak- 
ing an  inventory  of  the  ruined  household  effects. 
Byle  stalked  into  the  room  at  the  officer's  side. 

In  the  stately  manner  of  the  gentry  of  the  pe- 
riod, Phelps  made  his  compliments  and  solicited  a 
brief  interview.  He  apologized  as  well  as  he  could 
for  the  outrageous  behavior  of  the  militia,  and 
offered  to  do  anything  in  his  power  to  make 
amends.  The  only  favor  which  the  proud  woman 
asked  was  the  privilege  of  embarking  as  soon  as 
practicable,  on  a  down-river  boat  that  would 
carry  her  and  her  children  to  the  South. 

"Can  you  procure  for  me  the  family  boat  which 
my  husband  provided  for  us  at  Marietta?" 

The  colonel  feared  not.  Marietta  was  out  of 
his  jurisdiction. 

"Is  there  any  boat  that  I  can  borrow  here,  or 
buy?  I  must  join  my  husband;  I  promised  him 
that  I  would  not  delay." 

"I'd  lend  you  my  big  piroque,  but  you'll  over- 
set before  you  get  as  far  as  Farmer's  Castle,"  said 
Byle. 

"Pardon  me,"  responded  Madam  Blennerhas- 


3o8         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sett,  in  tones  of  apology,  bestowing  looks  of 
infinite  gratitude  on  her  zealous  guardian ;  "I  can- 
not put  in  words  my  sense  of  obligation  to  you, 
sir.  Colonel  Phelps,  I  owe  to  this  gentleman 
more  than  money  can  repay !  It  was  he  who  pro- 
tected me  and  my  servants  from  the  drunken  sol- 
diers ;  he  drove  them  out,  risking  his  life ;  he  was 
wounded  defending  us !" 

"You  don't  owe  me  a  fip.  It  is  no  trouble  at 
all  to  me  to  do  a  little  chore  for  you.  It  was  fool's 
luck,  anyway.  I  saw  you  in  town  this  morning, 
skiting  about,  from  pillar  to  post,  and  says  I  to 
myself,  There's  uneasiness  under  that  fine  bon- 
net !'  I  noticed  you  dodge  in  at  the  court-house 
and  at  Squire  Hale's,  and  everywhere,  and  some- 
thing told  me  to  investigate.  So  I  went  in  wher- 
ever I  saw  you  come  out,  in  reg'lar  order,  and 
larnt,  I  guess,  just  about  as  much  as  you  did, 
about  your  disappointment  and  your  worry.  Then 
I  thought,  'as  like  as  not  that  woman  is  having 
more  trouble  down  upon  the  island  than  I  know 
anything  about.  So,  true  as  calamus  is  sweet- 
flag,  as  soon  as  you  was  on  your  white  horse,  like 
the  old  lady  of  Banbury  Cross,  I  was  in  my  every- 
day skiff,  and  I  didn't  lose  you  out  of  my  sight 
from  the  minute  you  started  to  the  minute  Peter 
and  Ransom  took  you  on  the  ferry — but  I  slid 
along  where  you  couldn't  spy  me." 

"I  did  see  you,  sir,  and  I  confess  I  imagined  you 
might  be  some  river-ruffian  watching  me  with  no 
good  intention.  I  did  you  great  injustice." 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         309 

"I  looked  like  a  river  pirate,  did  I  ?  No, 
ma'am,  I  was  a  privateer,  but  not  a  pirate.  I  was 
sailing  under  your  colors,  unbeknown  to  you.  Is 
that  correct  military  language,  Phelps  ?  To  make 
a  long  story  short,  Scipio  told  me  in  his  charcoal 
style  what  happened  last  night,  and  all  about  Har- 
man's  sudden  going  away.  Well,  sir — ma'am,  I 
mean — it  struck  me  of  a  heap.  I  never  was  worse 
doubled  up  by  news  in  my  life.  I'm  not  a  pray- 
ing man,  as  a  rule — I  only  remember  praying  out 
loud  once — that  was  when  brother  Euc  was  near 
'bout  dead  with  cholera  morbus — I  began  to  pray, 
and  he  says,  'Don't  be  fooling  with  the  Lord  now, 
but  give  me  some  more  camphire.'  That  speech 
of  Euc's  sort  of  cured  me  of  praying  out  loud, 
though  I'm  orthodox.  Let's  see;  where  was  I? 
Oh,  yes,  I  felt  so  dangnation  sorry  for  the  family, 
that  I  says,  in  my  mind,  or  I  reckon  it  was  in  my 
soul,  I  says  to  God,  'Don't  forget  to  keep  your  all- 
seeing  eye  on  Margaret.'  Well,  Colonel  Phelps ; 
I  leave  you  in  charge  of  the  widow  and  the  father- 
less. If  you  have  any  trouble  with  the  militia, 
just  send  for  Plutarch  Byle.  Good-bye,  Mrs.  B. 
I  never  seen  you  lookin'  handsomer  since  the  day 
I  first  met  you  and  Evaleen,  last  May  a  year  ago, 
when  I  was  up  here  investigating  that  hunk  of 
raw  beef  in  the  puddle." 

Notwithstanding  his  precipitate  farewell,  Plu- 
tarch lingered  at  the  door,  and  kept  nervously 
wiping  the  blood  off  his  thumb  upon  the  fringe  of 
his  doublet.  Mrs.  Blennerhassett,  with  gracious 


3TO        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

solicitude,  insisted  upon  wrapping  a  small  linen 
handkerchief  about  the  wounded  member.  The 
gawky  hero  looked  very  sheepish  while  she  tied 
the  soft  bandage  fast. 

"Is  this  yourn?"  he  asked. 

"It  was  mine,"  she  answered,  smiling  amused- 
ly, "but  it  now  belongs  to  the  knight  who  came 
to  fight  my  battle  when  I  was  in  great  distress." 

"By  gum,  I'm  obliged  to  you." 

Uttering  these  elegant  parting  words,  Byle 
bolted  out  of  the  room  to  the  long  porch.  He 
stood  a  moment,  then  turned  his  face  toward  the 
door,  where  stood  the  lady,  smiling  her  embar- 
rassed thanks  and  adieux.  Big  tears  were  trick- 
ling down  Plutarch's  cheeks.  The  awkward 
giant  gulped,  wheeled  round,  and  with  long 
strides  made  a  bee-line  for  his  boat,  followed  as 
he  left  the  yard  by  cheers  from  the  Wood  County 
militia. 
****** 

Fortunately,  a  party  of  youths,  including  Mor- 
gan Neville,  William  Robinson,  young  Bracken- 
ridge,  and  a  dozen  others,  who  had  attached 
themselves  to  Burr  and  Arlington  in  Pittsburg, 
came  down  the  Ohio,  in  a  flatboat  belonging  to 
one  of  their  associates,  Thomas  Butler.  These 
adventurous  voyagers,  suspected  of  complicity 
with  Burr,  were  arraigned  before  three  justices 
of  the  peace,  of  the  Dogberry  caliber,  and  after 
a  ludicrous  examination  were  acquitted.  The 


HEROINE  AND  HERO         311 

best  room  of  their  boat  was  fitted  up  with  carpets, 
hangings,  and  a  suite  of  furniture  taken  from  the 
chambers  of  the  White  House,  soon  to  be  deserted. 
The  unplaned,  unpainted  cabin,  perfumed  by  the 
sour  odor  of  oaken  planks  and  the  scent  of  pine 
resin,  was  transformed  into  an  Eastern  boudoir — 
couches,  divans,  gorgeous  colors  and  all,  for  the 
accommodation  of  Mrs  Blennerhassett 

The  ill-starred  gentlewoman  whose  passion  for 
the  magnificent  prompted  her  to  adorn  her  float- 
ing bower  thus  luxuriously,  and  who,  like  Cleo- 
patra, was  attended  on  her  barge  by  Ethiop  slaves, 
had  not  relinquished  her  faith  in  Burr's  dream  of 
conquest  and  empire. 

"Where  are  we  going,"  asked  Harman,  when 
the  boat  which  was  to  convey  the  family  to  Bayou 
Pierre  had  been  pushed  off  from  their  island,  and 
the  mother  and  her  children  realized  that  they 
were  afloat  upon  the  river. 

"We  are  going  to  meet  your  father  in  a  splendid 
city  far  away  in  the  South." 

"Will  Colonel  Burr  be  there?" 

"Yes,  but  we  shall  not  then  call  him  Colonel; 
he  will  be  Emperor." 

"And  what  will  you  be,  mamma  ?" 

"A  duchess,  my  son." 

The  weary  mother  sank  back  upon  her  oriental 
divan,  which  was  piled  with  cushions,  and  closed 
her  eyes  in  fragrant  slumber,  a  luxury  she  had 
foregone  for  many  days  and  nights. 


XXVI. 

OUT  OF  THE  NET  INTO  THE  TRAP. 

DECEMBER  was  well-nigh  spent  when  Blenner- 
hassett's  bateau  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Cum- 
berland and  joined  Burr's  flotilla  of  a  dozen  simi- 
lar boats.  The  number  of  men  ready  to  embark 
for  the  Wachita  counted  only  three  or  four  score. 
This  informidable  showing  discouraged  Blenner- 
hassett,  but  the  "general,"  for  so  Burr  was  now 
styled,  saw  fleet  and  men  with  the  multiplying  eye 
of  faith,  and  he  rejoiced  to  have  actually  begun 
the  campaign.  Followers  yet  unseen  were  surely 
on  their  way  to  join  his  resolute  band.  The  mis- 
carriage of  plans  at  the  island  imposed  only  a 
temporary  delay  on  the  five  hundred  expected  to 
descend  from  the  Alleghany  country.  That  re- 
cruits would  flock  the  Mississippi  shores  to  look 
for  the  coming  of  the  leader,  and  to  offer  them- 
selves— blanket,  gun  and  soul — for  the  bold  ven- 
ture, was  to  be  expected  of  men  whose  names  were 
written  in  the  "Roster  of  the  Faithful." 

The  motley  forces  drawn  up  on  the  bank  of  the 
Cumberland  for  review  and  instruction  made  up 
in  fantastic  variety  for  what  they  lacked  in  num- 
ber. There  was  much  of  the  grotesque  and  some- 
what of  the  pitiful  in  the  spectacle  presented  by 


OUT  OF  THE  NET  313 

the  straggling  ranks  of  boatmen  and  backwoods 
farmers.  Many  wore  garments  of  butternut  lin- 
sey ;  others  had  on  buckskin  breeches  and  coats  of 
bear's  pelts ;  some,  in  imitation  of  Boone  and  the 
pioneers,  had  donned  moccasins  and  wolf's  skin 
caps,  ornamented  with  foxtails.  Some  of  these 
picturesque  resolutes  leaned  on  their  long  rifles, 
displaying  to  advantage  tomahawk  and  scalping 
knife. 

To  this  nucleus  of  an  expected  great  army  Burr 
made  a  brief  speech :  "There  can  be  no  failure  in 
any  enterprise  backed  up  by  patriots  of  such  stock 
as  I  see  before  me.  You  have  the  muscle  and  the 
sinew,  the  blood  and  the  brains,  the  heart  and  the 
soul,  of  Western  heroes.  Your  officers,  while  ex- 
pecting obedience,  give  in  return  their  friendship 
and  protection.  We  are  to  share  common  hard- 
ships and  dangers,  putting  up  with  things  as  they 
are  to-day,  in  certainty  of  reward  to-morrow." 

The  progress  of  the  unwieldy  batteaux  was  im- 
peded by  perils  of  winter  navigation.  Burr  ex- 
ercised his  best  generalship  in  directing  his  men 
how  to  overcome  the  difficulties  they  must  en- 
counter. He  now  thought  he  knew  the  river  in 
its  two  siren  moods,  its  summer  singing  hour  and 
its  winter  rage  of  hunger  for  decoyed  victims. 
His  royal  progress  in  Wilkinson's  barge  he  recol- 
lected as  an  event  so  long  ago  as  to  seem  an  im- 
pression revived  in  the  brain,  of  a  voyage  enjoyed 
in  some  previous  state  of  existence. 


A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

The  flotilla  had  passed  New  Madrid,  when, 
one  afternoon,  Burr  standing  near  the  stern  of 
his  boat — amused  himself  by  contemplating 
a  procession  of  flying  clouds  in  distorted 
shapes  of  dragons,  hippogrifs,  witches,  and 
ghosts.  The  boat  was  close  to  shore,  skirt- 
ing a  low  bluff,  covered  with  shrubs  and  trees. 
A  majestic  poplar  standing  on  the  river's  edge 
drew  the  colonel's  attention  by  its  noble  aspect. 
At  the  very  moment  when  the  prow  drove  oppo- 
site the  monarch  tree,  its  lofty  top  trembled,  the 
towering  trunk  reeled  and  fell  into  the  river  with 
a  terrific  plunge.  The  twenty-foot  long  steering 
pole,  to  which  was  attached  a  rudder  like  the 
blade  of  a  huge  oar,  was  struck  and  splintered  by 
the  falling  trunk.  The  seemingly  firm-rooted  and 
defiant  poplar  had  been  undermined  by  the  inces- 
sant erosion  of  the  flood. 

"Good  Heaven !"  exclaimed  Burr,  involunta- 
rily. "Am  I  the  tree  or  the. undercurrent?" 

That  he  had  far  less  to  dread  from  winds, 
waves,  and  falling  trees  than  from  ominous  storm 
gatherings  of  human  element,  menacing  the  fleet 
from  the  shore,  the  adventurer  discovered  full 
soon.  He  was  prepared  to  battle  with  the  Missis- 
sippi, but  had  not  anticipated  collision  with  the 
territorial  militia,  for  he  was  in  ignorance  of  the 
fact  that  his  plans  had  been  exposed,  and  that  a 
thunderbolt  from  the  hand  of  national  authority 
had  been  hurled.  His  flotilla,  as  it  proceeded 


OUT  OF  THE  NET  315 

southward,  instead  of  being  hailed  and  boarded  by 
eager  recruits,  was  bayed  by  the  watch-dogs  of 
the  law,  civil  and  martial.  Intrusive  messengers 
from  the  courts  and  officious  colonels  of  raw 
militia  regiments  pestered  and  threatened;  those, 
with  paper  warrants  from  local  magistrates,  these, 
with  flintlock  muskets  in  reserve. 

Not  until  his  boat  arrived  at  Bayou  Pierre,  near 
Natchez,  and  landed  in  Petite  Gulf,  was  Burr 
fully  informed  of  the  action  taken  by  the  National 
Government  and  the  several  States.  The  situa- 
tion was  disclosed  to  him  by  Major  Flaharty  of 
the  Second  Regiment,  who,  acting  under  the  au- 
thority of  the  territorial  governor  of  Mississippi, 
ordered  Burr  to  appear  at  the  village  of  Wash- 
ington to  undergo  examination.  The  order  was 
not  promptly  enforced,  and  the  boats  were  per- 
mitted to  cross  the  river  to  a  point  on  the  western 
shore,  a  few  miles  lower  down. 

Before  Burr's  boat  pushed  out  from  Petite 
Gulf,  Blennerhassett  hurried  to  his  superior,  and 
with  many  apologies,  handed  him  a  letter, 
crumpled  from  having  been  carried  long  in  the 
bearer's  pocket. 

"This  came  by  mail  to  the  island,  addressed,  as 
you  see,  in  my  care.  Margaret  warned  me  to  de- 
liver it  to  you  promptly;  but  the  commission  es- 
caped my  mind."  The  superscription  on  the  let- 
ter, written  in  fine  hand,  ran  thus:  "To  Colonel 
Aaron  Burr,  care  of  Mr.  Harman  Blennerhas- 


316         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

sett,  Blennerhassett's  Island,  opposite  Belpre, 
Ohio,  U.  S.  A."  Burr  waited  until  the  boat  was 
in  motion  before  entering  his  cabin  to  open  and 
read  the  belated  billet-doux,  for  such  he  judged 
the  missive  to  be.  The  news  he  had  just  heard 
of  Wilkinson's  changed  attitude,  and  the  prospect 
of  his  own  arrest,  left  him  in  a  state  of  mind  not 
favorable  to  playing  the  capricious  game  of  flirta- 
tion, with  pen  or  tongue.  He  cast  the  sealed 
epistle  on  the  table  provided  for  his  use,  and  sat 
down  on  a  wooden  stool  to  ponder.  The  only  il- 
lumination of  his  rude  quarters  came  from  a  tal- 
low candle  stuck  in  a  socket  made  by  boring  an 
auger-hole  in  a  block  of  wood.  Night  had  fallen, 
the  wind  blew  in  violent  gusts  and  the  timbers  of 
the  flatboat  creaked  and  shuddered.  Burr  sat  in 
meditation,  his  face  buried  in  his  hands,  his  el- 
bows resting  on  the  table,  a  foiled  conspirator — 
frustrated,  trapped,  as  he  conjectured,  by  his 
suave  confederate.  He  had  drifted  into  the  eel- 
pot  prepared  for  him.  No  mode  of  escape  could 
he  devise.  He  thought  of  Madam  Blennerhas- 
sett,  of  Theodosia,  of  glorious  visions  seen  and 
royal  assurances  given,  in  the  secluded  library  of 
the  White  House  on  the  lonely  island  in  the  Ohio. 
Vividly  he  remembered  his  first  voyage  down  the 
beautiful  river,  the  conversations  with  Arlington, 
the  serio-comic  encounter  with  Plutarch  Byle,  the 
reverie  on  deck  of  the  ark,  the  evening  in  the 
ladies'  bower.  Slowlv  he  raised  his  head  from 


OUT  OF  THE  NET  317 

his  hands,  and  moved  by  the  automatism  of  habit 
drew  a  cigar  from  its  case,  lit  the  solacing  weed 
at  the  blue-yellow  cone  of  the  candle  flame,  and 
smoked.  He  now  felt  not  disinclined  to  take  up 
the  neglected  billet-doux.  He  broke  the  seal  and 
read. 

PHILADELPHIA,  Nov.  31,  1806. 
"Forgive — forgive  me,  if  you  can — I  am  dying 
of  remorse.  You  deceived  me,  betrayed  me,  in 
my  girlhood,  but  I  pardoned  that,  for  I  loved  you 
more  than  any  other  woman  ever  loved  a  man. 
When  we  met  in  Ohio,  by  strange  accident,  all 
was  reconciled.  How  happy  I  was !  But  when  I 
learned  of  your  perfidy;  when  I  was  forced  to 
realize  that  I  was  not  only  your  jilted  victim,  but 
your  hoodwinked  dupe;  that  your  object  in  coax- 
ing from  me  my  fortune  was  wholly  selfish ;  that 
you  never  meant  to  restore  either  my  property  or 
my  good  name;  while  your  kisses  were  warm 
upon  my  lips  your  heart  was  planning  proposals 
to  another  woman  to  become  your  wife  that  I, 
your  discarded  tool,  could  not  claim  even  to  be  re- 
garded as  your  mistress;  when  I  felt  sure  of  all 
this,  I  was  frantic  with  grief  and  rage.  I  went  to 
Washington,  saw  the  President,  gave  him  all  the 
facts  and  papers  you  had  intrusted  to  me.  I  did 
this  in  hatred,  for  revenge.  In  my  madness  I 
wanted  to  crush  you,  to  blast  your  hopes,  to  kill 
you,  if  I  could.  But  anger  gave  way  to  remorse. 
I  would  undo  what  I  have  done,  but  it  is  too  late. 
I  know  you  cannot  love  me — you  cannot  pity  or 
forgive.  I  never  shall  forgive  myself.  There  is 
nothing  for  me  to  live  for — I  am  wretched, 
wretched,  ruined — abandoned  by  you  and  de- 


3i8         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

spised  by  the  world.  When  this  reaches  you,  if 
it  ever  reaches  your  dear  hand,  I  will  be  out  of 
this  awful  misery  and  free  from  shame. 

"I  send  enclosed  the  diamond  ring  you  gave  me 
in  Princeton — the  one  you  took  from  my  finger  in 
that  farmhouse  on  the  Miami,  to  write  with  it  on 
the  window-pane  your  name,  dear  Aaron,  my 
first  love,  and  underneath  it  my  own. 

"SALOME." 

The  unhappy  trifler  having  reread  the  re- 
proachful lines,  took  up  the  ring  which  had  fallen 
upon  the  table  when  the  letter  was  unfolded. 
There  was  a  small  window  in  the  side  of  the 
cabin,  opening  on  hinges.  Burr  rose,  stepped  to 
the  rude  casement,  unfastened  the  bolt,  thrust  his 
arm  out  as  far  as  he  could  reach,  holding  betwixt 
his  thumb  and  finger  the  sparkling  gem,  and  was 
about  to  cast  it  into  the  water ;  but  he  checked  the 
impulse,  drew  back  his  hand  and  slipped  the  love- 
token  on  his  little  finger. 

"Poor  Salome!"  he  murmured,  closing  the 
sash.  "Foolish  Salome!  She  thinks  she  is  the 
cause  of  my  ruin ;  but  she  is  not.  I  wish  to  God 
I  could  say  I  am  not  the  cause  of  hers." 

The  fickle  lover,  rousing  from  his  remorseful 
reverie,  became  the  man  of  action.  His  boat  was 
freighted,  in  part,  with  military  stores,  proof  posi- 
tive of  war-like  designs.  This  objective  evidence 
must  not  come  to  the  knowledge  of  judge  or 
militia-man.  Burr  seized  an  axe,  and  calling  one 
of  the  boatmen  to  his  assistance,  led  the  way  to 


OUT  OE  THE  NET  319 

the  main  storage  room,  where  guns  and  ammuni- 
tion, packed  in  chests,  lay  piled.  The  place  was 
closely  boarded  up,  having  no  openings  whatever 
in  the  sides. 

''Here,  Gilpin,  take  the  axe,  while  I  hold  the 
light.  Cut  a  hole  in  the  side  of  the  boat,  between 
these  two  upright  braces.  Hurry  up !  Make  the 
space  large  enough  to  let  these  boxes  pass 
through." 

The  boatman  chopped  with  lusty  strokes  and 
soon  hewed  an  opening  sufficiently  long  and  wide 
through  the  plank  siding. 

"Now,  take  hold;  help  lift  this,  and  slide  it 
overboard." 

Rapidly  the  two  worked  with  might  and  main, 
casting  chest  after  chest  overboard  to  sink  plumb 
to  the  muddy  bottom  of  the  Mississippi.  By  the 
time  the  steersman  gave  orders  for  landing  on  the 
Arkansas  shore,  the  telltale  cargo  had  all  been 
unloaded.  The  innocent  vessel  was  brought  to 
harbor  in  a  bend  and  made  fast  to  some  friendly 
trees. 

Military  officers,  acting  for  the  governor  of 
Mississippi  Territory,  lay  in  wait  to  seize  Burr 
and  Blennerhassett.  To  the  governor's  aide-de- 
camp the  chief  conspirator  said  with  bitter  resent- 
ment: 

"As  to  any  projects  or  plans  which  may  have 
been  formed  between  General  Wilkinson  and  my- 
self, heretofore,  they  are  now  completely  frus- 


32o         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

trated  by  the  treacherous  conduct  of  Wilkinson; 
and  the  world  must  pronounce  him  a  perfidious 
villain.  If  I  am  sacrificed,  my  portfolio  will  prove 
him  such." 

This  petulant  outburst  was  of  no  avail  to  stave 
off  the  minions  of  the  law.  Burr  was  again  in 
the  toils.  He,  the  distinguished  attorney  who  had 
won  so  many  cases  before  the  New  York  bench, 
and  who  had  presided  over  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States,  was  summoned  to  a  hearing  before 
a  grand  jury  in  the  obscure  village  of  Washing- 
ton. What  a  descent  from  Washington,  the  capi- 
tal, to  Washington,  the  frontier  hamlet;  from 
presidency  of  the  Senate  to  a  prisoner's  box  in  a 
backwoods  court-house ! 

The  good  genius  of  Burr  did  not  desert  him 
at  the  hour  of  this,  his  second  humiliating  ordeal. 
Fortune,  who  had  rescued  him  in  Kentucky,  again 
favored  him  in  Mississippi.  The  grand  jury,  to 
the  chagrin  of  judge  and  territorial  governor, 
brought  in  the  unexpected  presentment  that 
Aaron  Burr  was  not  guilty  of  any  crime  or  mis- 
demeanor. The  jury  was  dismissed,  but  the  pris- 
oner was  not  discharged.  Burr,  who  had  many 
secret  friends,  was  advised  that  the  governor  in- 
tended to  seize  on  his  person  the  moment  the  court 
should  release  him.  The  conspirator  resolved  to 
elude  judiciary  and  executive  by  flight.  Pru- 
dence and  dignity,  however,  forbade  precipitate 
action.  Never  was  fugitive  so  intrepid,  so  calm. 


OUT  OF  THE  NET  321 

No  valet  had  ever  regarded  him  less  than  a  hero. 
But  how  would  Madam  Blennerhassett  judge 
him  ?  She  had  arrived  at  Bayou  Pierre — that 
Burr  knew — and  the  first  tidings  she  heard  of  her 
husband  told  her  that  he  and  Burr  had  been  ar- 
rested. Burr  sat  down,  and  penned  the  follow- 
ing: 

"WASHINGTON,  Miss.,  Jan.  31,  1807. 
"Mrs.  M.  Blennerhassett. 

"DEAR  MADAM  :  Your  good  husband  has 
informed  you  of  the  miscarriage  of  our  plans, 
and  of  our  humiliating  detention  by  Govern- 
ment officials.  This  temporary  delay  on  the 
road  to  Beulah  is  wholly  chargeable  to  the 
treachery  of  one  individual  in  whom  I  placed 
absolute  trust.  No  fit  abiding  place  is  yet 
provided  for  you  on  the  Wachita  acres.  And 
Orleans  is  a  port  closed  against  us.  How  morti- 
fying! Let  not  these  tidings  distress  you,  but 
draw  upon  the  infinite  resources  of  a  determined 
will.  I  am  not  discouraged — only  pestered  and 
stung  by  a  swarm  of  mosquitoes  in  the  shape  of 
magistrates,  militia  colonels,  and  false  witnesses. 
Doubtless,  Mr.  Blennerhassett  will  be  restored  to 
you  soon;  as  for  myself,  I  take  all  the  responsi- 
bility for  his  misfortunes  upon  my  shoulders. 
Circumstances  compel  me,  for  the  present,  to . 
move  with  circumspection,  but  you  shall  hear 
from  me  in  good  time. 

"Last  night,  in  my  sleep,  I  had  a  delightful  ex- 
perience. I  dreamed  we  were  all  sailing  the  Medi- 
terranean, in  a  silken-sailed  barge,  bound  for 
Egypt,  Syria,  Arabia,  and  every  spicy,  flowery 


322        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

land.  I  awoke  to  the  'slumbery  agitation'  of  to- 
day's evil  chances.  However,  'there's  nothing 
either  good  or  bad,  but  thinking  makes  it  so.' 
The  Kingdom  is  within  us.  You  recollect  old 
Shirley's  solemn  lines, 

'The  glories  of  our  blood  and  state 
Are  shadows,  not  substantial  things.' 

The  only  substantial  world  is  comprised  within 
the  two  hemispheres  of  the  human  heart. 

"Dear  madam,  will  you  console  Theodosia  with 
one  of  your  brave,  loving,  womanly  letters?  She 
is  the  one  who  will  suffer  most  from  the  miserable 
collapse  of  our  plans — she  and  poor  little  Gampy. 

"I  presume  you  will  return  to  the  Enchanted 
Ground !  'Tis  a  heavenly  retreat.  I  enclose  a 
sprig  of  Spanish  moss  from  a  cypress-tree  near 
the  village  jail.  Adieu, 

"A.  B." 

The  gallant  traitor  did  not  linger  for  the  gover- 
nor's catchpoll  to  seize  him.  French  leave  was 
better  than  a  sheriff's  hospitality.  Three  of 
Burr's  faithful  adherents  agreed  to  convey  him 
secretly,  in  a  skiff,  to  a  point  twenty  miles  from 
Bayou  Pierre,  and  there  to  provide  him  with  a 
horse  and  a  mounted  guide,  to  facilitate  his  escape 
from  the  Territory.  In  pursuance  of  his  project, 
he  was  about  to  leave  Washington,  on  foot,  to 
join  his  clandestine  abettors,  when  he  was  curtly 
accosted  by  a  young  man  whom  he  was  startled 
to  recognize  at  that  time  and  place.  Burr  put  out 
his  hand,  but  the  young  man  haughtily  withheld 
his  own.  He  spoke  vehemently. 


OUT  OF  THE  NET  323 

"Colonel  Burr,  I  challenged  a  brave  man,  a  pa- 
triotic soldier,  to  fight  a  duel  with  me,  because  he 
spoke  severe  words  about  you.  He  wronged  you 
a  little,  but  you  have  wronged  me  much — my 
friends  more.  You  called  Hamilton  to  the  field 
for  traducing  you;  I  demand  satisfaction  from 
you  for  treacherously  involving  me  and  my  fam- 
ily name  with  your  own,  in  charges  of  disloyalty 
to  the  Government.  You  lied  to  me !" 

Burr  compressed  his  lips  and  filled  his  lungs 
with  a  quick-drawn  breath.  His  cheeks  purpled 
and  his  eyes  shot  dark  fire. 

"Mr.  Arlington,  you  go  too  far.  I  cannot 
brook  insult" 

"Do  not  brook  it.  Resent  it.  You  have 
smutched  my  honor.  You  have  ruined  the  Blen- 
nerhassetts.  You  have  betrayed  a  host  of  con- 
fiding people.  You  have  endeavored  to  destroy 
the  Union.  I  can  right  myself  before  the  coun- 
try and  in  my  own  estimation  only  by  calling  you 
to  personal  account.  Will  you  meet  me  with  pis- 
tol or  with  sword  ?" 

Burr  quenched  the  resentful  fires  that  burnt  in 
his  heart,  and  replied  calmly : 

"My  friend,  I  decline  to  meet  you  in  any  form 
of  duel.  You  cannot  provoke  me  to  accept  your 
challenge.  I  respect  you  too  much  to  kill  you. 
You  demand  satisfaction.  Arlington,  no  satisfac- 
tion comes  to  either  party  in  a  fatal  conflict.  The 
dead  man  is  indifferent  to  the  boast  of  honor  vin- 


324        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

dicated.  I  have  fought  my  last  duel.  But  don't 
imagine  me  afraid  of  threats,  or  bullets,  or 
swords." 

The  Virginian  responded  in  milder  tones. 

"Can  you  justify  your  deceptions,  practised  on 
me,  or  make  amends  for  the  injury  done  the 
Blennerhassetts  ?" 

"I  justify  nothing.  I  promise  no  reform.  My 
plan  failed.  I  did  my  best.  I  am  no  traitor.  I 
meant  to  benefit  everybody.  I  shall  be  vindicated. 
Good-bye.  Go,  Arlington,  marry  the  belle  of 
Marietta,  and  be  a  happy  man." 

Arlington's  nostrils  quivered.  A  second  surge 
of  anger  swept  over  him.  Burr  continued : 

"I  advise  seriously.  Win  Miss  Hale.  I  know 
she  likes  you.  She  is  the  finest  woman  west  of 
the  Appalachians — or  east  of  them.  I  had  mat- 
rimonial inclinings  toward  the  paragon  myself." 

"That  I  know,"  said  the  young  man,  with 
crabbed  acrimony. 

"Yes,  you  know  that.  That  is  an  additional 
reason,  you  think,  for  wishing  to  meet  me  in 
dudgeon.  A  lover  hates  a  rival,  even  an  unsuc- 
cessful one,  and  cherishes  hotter  resentment 
against  the  man  who  steals  a  kiss  from  his  lady( 
love  than  against  him  who  violates  a  dozen 
federal  constitutions,  and  breaks  all  the  apron 
strings  of  his  mother  country." 

The  flippancy  of  this  speech  renewed  Arling- 
ton's animosity. 


OUT  OF  THE  NET  325 

"You  will  not,  then,  permit  me  to  right  myself 
by  the  code  of  honor  ?" 

"No,  Arlington,  as  I  told  you,  I  fought  my 
last  duel  on  the  bank  of  the  Hudson.  Good- 
bye. I  am  not  the  bad  man  you  believe  me  to  be. 
But  I  am  under  a  cloud.  My  hopes  are  darkened. 
I  would  like  to  keep  your  friendship,  but  cannot 
demand  it.  It  was  in  our  plans  to  make  you  a 
'belted  knight,  a  marquis,  duke,  and  a'  that/  but 
the  Creator  anticipated  me  by  making  you  a  true 
gentleman,  which  is  the  highest  title  of  nobility." 

Burr  started  on  the  path  which  led  to  the  covert 
where  his  three  faithful  friends  awaited  his  com- 
ing, to  row  him  down  the  river.  Halting  for  a 
minute,  he  looked  back  at  Arlington  wistfully, 
and  said : 

"I  am  an  outcast  and  an  outlaw.    Farewell." 

Burr  followed  the  path  which  he  hoped  would 
extricate  him  from  the  labyrinth  of  his  troubles, 
and  Arlington  left  the  village  of  Washington, 
and  was  soon  on  the  way  to  New  Orleans,  where 
Evaleen  Hale  expected  him  at  the  house  of  her 
uncle. 


XXVII. 

FLIGHT  AND  SURRENDER. 

DISGUISED  in  the  borrowed  clothes  of  a  boat- 
man— pantaloons  of  coarse  stuff,  dyed  in  cop- 
peras, a  drab-colored  roundabout,  a  broad- 
brimmed  slouch  hat  much  the  worse  for  hard 
usage  in  rain  and  sun — Aaron  Burr  fled.  He 
deemed  it  impossible  that  any  detective  could  rec- 
ognize him.  One  precaution,  however,  he  neg- 
lected to  take ;  his  genteel  feet  disdained  the  boat- 
man's cowhide  shoes,  nor  would  he  put  on  the  pair 
of  big  Suarrow  boots  proffered  by  one  of  his  fol- 
lowers. He  insisted  on  wearing,  as  usual,  his 
tight-fitting,  neat,  elegant  city-boots  of  polished 
calfskin. 

Clad  and  accoutred  for  flight  through  a  wild 
country,  mounted  upon  a  spirited  horse  provided 
by  devoted  accessories  for  the  severe  journey,  and 
accompanied  by  a  guide  who  knew  the  forest 
ways,  he  set  out,  a  fugitive  from  justice.  Both  he 
and  his  pilot  carried  pistols  in  holster  and  pro- 
visions in  saddle-bags.  Their  route  lay  through  a 
desolate  region  sparsely  settled  by  pioneers,  and 
not  yet  relinquished  by  wandering  aborigines,  nor 
by  the  bear  and  the  catamount.  The  month  of 
February  was  spent  before  they  reached  the  val- 


FLIGHT  AND  SURRENDER    327 

ley  of  the  Tombigbee,  a  distance  of  two  hundred 
miles  from  the  Mississippi  River. 

Late  one  evening  the  weary  travellers  drew  rein 
at  the  door  of  a  log  tavern  in  Alabama.  A  bright 
fire  was  crackling  within,  and  several  guests  sat 
conversing  before  the  broad  hearth. 

"Hello  the  house!"  shouted  Burr's  attendant. 
Not  hearing  a  prompt  response  to  the  call,  the 
guide  dismounted,  rapped  on  the  deal  door,  at  the 
same  time  jerking  a  stout  leathern  bobbin  which 
drew  up  the  wooden  latch  inside.  The  door  flew 
open,  disclosing  a  puncheon  floor,  a  bar  with 
bulging  decanters  of  whiskey,  and  the  group  of 
talkers  sitting  in  the  ruddy  glow  of  the  wide  fire- 
place. The  landlord  came  to  the  threshold. 

"Alight  and  come  in,  stranger.  I  have  good 
beds." 

"We  are  obliged  to  you,  landlord,"  said  Burr 
from  the  saddle,  "but  we  can't  stop.  We  hailed 
the  house  only  to  inquire  the  way  to  Colonel  Hin- 
son's.  How  far  is  it?" 

"A  long  seven  miles,  and  all  that  isn't  stump  is 
mud  hole.  Better  put  up  here  till  morning.  A  bite 
of  pork  and  pone,  washed  down  with  a  cup  of  hot 
coffee,  will  make  a  new  man  of  you." 

"Thank  you,  my  friend,  but  we  are  in  some 
hurry.  What  direction  shall  we  take?"  The 
tavern-keeper  gave  the  desired  information,  with 
tedious  minuteness.  Meanwhile  the  party  at  the 
fireside  took  sharp  notice  of  the  man  on  horse- 


328         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

back,  whom  they  could  plainly  see  in  the  out- 
shining light  of  the  fire.  A  tall  gentleman, 
whom  the  host  called  "colonel,"  inspected  the 
strangers  with  comprehensive  scrutiny. 

"Neighbors,"  said  he,  listening  to  the  receding 
hoof-beats  of  the  horses,  "did  you  notice  that 
man's  face  and  his  feet?  He  don't  look  like  a 
common  man.  Our  backwoodsmen  don't  wear 
shiny  boots."  Leaving  his  companions  mystified 
by  this  speech,  the  colonel  hurried  from  the  inn, 
and  bent  his  steps  toward  a  cabin,  from  the  single 
small  window  of  which  a  lard-lamp  levelled  its 
faint  ray.  This  was  the  lodge  of  the  district 
sheriff.  The  tall  colonel  called  the  officer  out  arid 
described  the  appearance  and  actions  of  the  two 
travellers. 

"Brightwell,  I  have  my  suspicions.  Hadn't  we 
better  go — you  and  I — to  Hinson's,  and  learn 
who  these  parties  are  and  what  they  want?  I 
doubt  if  your  cousin,  Mrs.  Hinson,  knows  that 
her  husband  sympathizes  with  a  certain  individual 
who  falls  under  the  charges  of  Jefferson's  proc- 
lamation." 

Colonel  Perkins  easily  persuaded  the  sheriff  it 
was  their  duty  to  follow  the  suspected  persons, 
and  the  self-constituted  spies  saddled  horses  and 
spurred  through  the  woods,  along  a  solitary  road, 
to  Hinson's  lonely  cottage.  Perkins  remained 
outside,  holding  the  horses  and  shivering  under 
the  gusty  pines.  The  sheriff  knocked  at  the  back 


FLIGHT  AND  SURRENDER    329 

door  of  the  cabin;  the  mistress  of  the  house  re- 
ceived him  kinswomanly  in  the  kitchen.  From 
this  rear  apartment  Brightwell  could  peep  into 
the  front  room,  where  sat  the  object  of  his  curios- 
ity. Having  exchanged  a  few  familiar  remarks 
and  inquiries  with  Mrs.  Hinson,  the  sheriff  asked, 
in  a  whisper : 

"Who  is  that  man — the  small  man  with  black 
eyes  and  white  hands  ?" 

"He  calls  himself  Hodge — Jeremiah  Hodge — 
and  claims  acquaintance  with  my  husband.  He 
says  he  came  by  request  to  have  a  talk  with  Hin- 
son about  raft-building  on  the  Tombigbee." 

"Do  you  believe  this?" 

"I  don't  know  what  to  think.  He  is  a  civil 
man — very  civil — as  soft  spoken  as  a  girl,  and  he 
has  the  nicest  table  manners  I  ever  seen  in  a 
man.  I  couldn't  turn  strangers  away  on  such  a 
raw  night." 

"No,"  said  the  sheriff,  "you  could  not ;  we  must 
be  neighborly ;  but  I  have  my  doubts  of  Jeremiah 
Hodge.  Good-bye,  Jane.  Drop  over  and  see 
Fanny  and  the  new  baby." 

The  officer,  highly  satisfied  with  his  cunning 
detective  work,  slipped  out  and  joined  his  im- 
patient companion,  Perkins,  who  agreed  to  com- 
municate straightway  with  Lieutenant  Gaines, 
commandant  at  Fort  Stoddart,  a  post  on  the  Tom- 
bigbee. Having  secured  a  canoe  and  a  colored 
boy  to  paddle  it,  Colonel  Perkins,  on  the  follow- 


330        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

ing  morning,  descended  the  river,  and  told  Gaines 
his  story. 

While  Perkins  was  floating  down  the  Tombig- 
bee,  the  polite  boatman,  Jeremiah  Hodge,  was 
writing  letters,  eating  breakfast,  and  chatting 
most  agreeably  with  his  admiring  hostess.  At 
about  nine-o'clock  he  requested  his  fellow-traveller 
to  saddle  the  horses,  and  within  the  few  minutes 
required  for  this  to  be  done  he  surprised  Mrs. 
Hinson  by  disclosing  his  real  name. 

"Madam,  if  you  should  ever  chance  to  meet 
a  boatman  by  the  name  of  Jeremiah  Hodge,  which 
is  not  probable,  please  make  my  apologies  to  him 
for  borrowing  his  name,  as  I  have  borrowed  also 
another  man's  clothes.  I  am  Aaron  Burr,  of  New 
York,  a  name  pretty  widely  known  and  much 
bandied  about  in  these  scandalmongering  days. 
I  know  your  husband  well ;  Colonel  Hinson  and 
myself  are  old  friends;  I  saw  him  lately  in 
Natchez,  and  he  was  kind  enough  to  invite  me  to 
make  his  house  my  home,  in  case  I  had  need  of  a 
comrade  soldier's  hospitality.  Under  the  circum- 
stances now  existing  I  cannot  remain  longer." 

Mrs.  Hinson  looked  incredulous  and  scared. 

"Mercy  me!"  was  her  suppressed  interjection. 

"Pardon  me  for  giving  a  false  name,  and  not  a 
pretty  one,  either.  A  reward  of  two  thousand 
dollars  is  offered  to  any  one  who  will  give  infor- 
mation leading  to  my  arrest.  Such  a  snug  sum 
might  serve  you  for  pin-money."  This  was  jocu- 


FLIGHT  AND  SURRENDER    331 

larly  said  and  with  a  smile.  Mrs.  Hinson  found  a 
tongue  to  protest. 

"Don't  fear  I'll  blab.  I  wish  I  could  help  you 
to  get  out  of  danger.  Now  I  see  why  cousin 
Brightwell  was  Paul  Prying  here  last  night. 
There's  your  horse  saddled  and  bridled.  Take 
keer  of  yourself." 

"Good-bye,  my  dear  madam.  I  cannot,  of 
course,  offer  to  pay  you  for  your  generous  enter- 
tainment of  me  and  my  follower.  But  you  must 
not  deny  me  one  small  favor — take  this  ring  as  a 
keepsake  from  Jeremiah  Hodge." 

He  waited  not  for  a  reply,  but  gently  raising 
her  hand,  which  was  a  very  pretty  one,  he  placed 
on  her  finger  Salome  Rosemary's  diamond  ring! 
Bowing  a  graceful  adieu,  the  versatile  fugitive 
rode  away  at  his  faithful  servant's  side. 

The  brace  of  horsemen  had  not  trotted  a  mile 
before  they  were  overtaken  on  the  highway  by 
a  rider  who  accosted  them  very  cordially.  His 
sorrel  steed  kept  even  pace  with  the  other  two 
horses. 

"A  nice  frosty  morning,"  chirpped  the  friendly 
bore.  "I  hope  I  don't  intrude.  I  like  company 
myself  when  I  am  on  the  road.  Which  way  are 
you  bound  ?  Pensacola  ?" 

Burr  made  no  reply,  but  his  attache  answered 
freely : 

"Yes,  Pensacola.  Which  is  the  best  road  from 
here  to  Carson's  Ferry  ?" 


332         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"The  best  road  and  the  shortest  is  by  way  of 
the  cut-off.  I  am  going  that  way — I'll  show  you 
the  road." 

All  three  cantered  forward.  In  half  an  hour 
they  came  to  a  place  where  the  road  made  an 
abrupt  turn,  and  just  at  this  bend  a  file  of 
mounted  and  armed  soldiers  stopped  their  prog- 
ress. Lieutenant  Gaines  and  Colonel  Perkins 
rode  at  the  head  of  the  troopers.  The  lieutenant 
waved  a  military  salute  and  spoke. 

"Have  I  the  honor  of  addressing  Colonel 
Burr?" 

"You  have  that  honor ;  I  am  Aaron  Burr." 

"You  are  my  prisoner." 

"By  what  authority  do  you  detain  me,  a  private 
citizen,  attending  peaceably  to  my  own  affairs,  on 
a  public  thoroughfare  ?" 

"I  arrest  you,  Aaron  Burr,  in  the  name  ancj  at 
the  instance  of  the  United  States  of  America.  '  I 
hold  in  my  hand  the  proclamation  of  President 
Jefferson.  I  am  a  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
Army.  The  gentleman  at  your  side  is  Theodore 
Brightwell,  a  sheriff,  and  the  officer  accompany- 
ing me  is  Colonel  Nicholas  Perkins,  who  detected 
you  last  evening  when  you  rode  up  to  the  Piny 
Woods  Tavern." 

Burr  surrendered.  That  night  he  slept,  a  pris- 
oner, in  Fort  Stoddart. 


XXVIII. 

WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM. 

ALMOST  eight  years  had  elapsed  since  the  date 
of  Burr's  arrest  and  imprisonment,  when  on  the 
first  day  of  May,  1815,  two  young  families  loi- 
tered away  an  afternoon  in  picnic  outing  on  Blen- 
nerhassett  Island.  The  party  consisted  of  eight 
persons — Colonel  Warren  Danvers,  his  wife  and 
a  small  daughter ;  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Arlington, 
their  two  pretty  little  girls  and  a  boy-baby.  The 
children,  excepting  the  infant,  were  old  enough  to 
enjoy  gathering  wild-flowers.  They  kept  within 
call  of  the  parents,  who,  conversing  on  events 
familiar  to  them  all,  strolled  over  the  deserted 
grounds  of  an  estate  rendered  sadly  famous  by 
the  misfortunes  of  its  former  possessors.  Amid 
scenes  associated  with  the  disastrous  failure  of  a 
treasonable  conspiracy,  it  was  natural  to  speak  of 
Burr. 

"He  is  paying  a  bitter  penalty  for  his  crime," 
Danvers  commented.  ''Though  acquitted  by  the 
Federal  Court  at  Richmond,  in  spite  of  Wirt's  ar- 
raignment, the  traitor  will  not  recover  the  people's 
good-will.  He  lives  in  New  York  City,  a  man 
forbid.  His  four  years'  self-exile  in  Europe,  I  am 
told,  was  a  humiliating  banishment  from  the 


334         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

loyal  and  patriotic.  No  country  can  be  a 
"Sweet  Home"  to  the  man  who  repudiates  his 
own  nation's  flag.  Burr  declares  himself  severed 
from  the  human  race,  and  so  he  is." 

"You  are  relentless,  Warren,"  said  his  sister. 
"I  feel  much  pity  for  the  man,  since  his  heart- 
breaking experience  of  two  or  three  years  ago." 

"Ah,  yes;  yes,"  Lucrece  impulsively  said; 
"Theodosia  was  her  father's  incentive  and  his 
happiness.  It  was  bad  enough  to  lose  the  little 
grandson.  Think  how  you  would  grieve  if  your 
dear  little  boy  should  die." 

"We  don't  ever  think  of  dying,  do  we,  Dicky  ?" 
Evaleen  cooed,  making  mother  eyes  at  her  baby. 
"The  world  must  have  seemed  a  blank  to  Burr 
after  Theodosia  was  drowned." 

"Was  she  drowned?"  questioned  Arlington. 
"That  was  a  mysterious  affair — the  disappearance 
of  the  schooner — what  was  the  vessel's  name, 
Danvers  ?" 

"The  Patriot.  She  sailed  from  Charleston  for 
New  York  in  the  winter  of  1812.  I  remember 
reading  of  the  disaster  just  before  marching  with 
General  Harrison  to  Fort  Meigs." 

"The  boat  may  have  foundered  or  wrecked," 
said  Arlington.  "Some  believe  it  was  captured  by 
pirates,  who  carried  Theodosia  away  to  a  foreign 
port." 

"That's  an  absurd  theory !"  declared  Danvers. 

"But  not  impossible,  my  dear,"  put  in  Lucrece. 


WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM    335 

"I  hope  the  poor  lady  was  not  carried  away; 
drowning  is  preferable,"  said  Evaleen. 

"You  two  wouldn't  drown  when  you  had  a 
chance  at  Cypress  Bayou,"  laughed  the  husband. 
"You  chose  to  be  carried  away  by  one  robber  and 
brought  back  by  another." 

Lucrece  snugged  close  to  her  soldier,  and  he 
gave  her  a  playful  kiss. 

"Spoony,"  sang  Evaleen,  whereupon  her  prim 
younger  daughter,  whose  plump  fist  tightly  held  a 
bunch  of  spring-beauties,  looked  up  in  wonder  and 
lisped : 

"Mamma,  what  is  spoony?" 

The  elder  sister,  some  seven  years  old,  came 
running  to  her  mother's  side. 

"There's  a  man  by  the  well !" 

"I  saw  him  first,"  chimed  in  the  smaller  child. 
"Didn't  I  see  him  first,  Eva?" 

The  rambling  party  had  returned  from  the 
woodland  to  the  cleared  tract,  in  the  midst  of 
which  the  White  House  of  Blennerhassett  for- 
merly stood.  The  mansion,  never  occupied 
after  the  ill-starred  family  left  it,  was  de- 
stroyed by  fire  a  few  years  before  the  time 
of  the  picnic  excursion.  Near  the  low  foun- 
dation walls  of  blackened  stone  stood  the 
wooden  curb  surrounding  the  mouth  of  a  deep 
well.  The  old  windlass,  below  which  a  leaky 
bucket  still  swung,  was  kept  in  repair  by  unknown 
hands.  Upon  looking  for  the  man  whom  Eva  had 


336         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

discovered,  Mrs.  Arlington  saw  leaning  upon  the 
curb,  in  a  posture  of  meditation,  a  figure  which 
both  she  and  her  husband  recognized.  There  was 
no  possibility  of  avoiding  or  of  evading  a  meet- 
ing with  the  meddlesome  babbler  who  had  volun- 
teered to  prescribe  "cowcumber  bitters"  as  a  sure 
cure  for  Chester's  love.  Within  the  ten  years 
since  the  revelation  on  the  summit  of  the  mound, 
and  the  piroque  tour  to  the  island,  Arlington  had 
seen  and  heard  a  good  deal  of  Plutarch  Byle. 
Though  it  was  always  more  or  less  of  a  social  an- 
noyance, and  at  times  an  intolerable  bore,  to  en- 
counter the  gossipy  humorist,  his  numberless  ac- 
quaintances, far  from  wishing  him  ill,  admired 
his  honesty  and  lauded  his  goodness  of  heart. 

Byle  heard  the  children's  voices,  and  straight- 
ening up  his  awkward  form,  turned  to  observe  the 
advancing  group.  His  wide  mouth  opened  with 
a  grin  of  pleasure;  he  came  forward  with  gang- 
ling strides. 

"By  crackey,  if  it  isn't  the  Arlingtons!  Home 
from  Virginia,  Evaleen,  to  old  Marietta,  on  a 
visit  to  the  folks?  You're  looking  peart.  How 
do  you  all  do?" 

Arlington,  out  of  regard  for  his  wife  and  kins- 
folk, made  some  dignified  efforts  to  stem  the  tide 
of  Byle's  familiarity,  but  his  polite  formality  was 
not  noticed  by  the  associable  democrat,  who  shook 
hands  with  every  one,  beginning  with  the  baby. 

"So  these  is  your  offspring,  as  the  preacher 


WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM    337 

says,  are  they,  Chester?  I  knowed  you'd  have  a 
lot  of  'em  when  I  recommended  the  match. 
Here's  the  suckin'  kid;  let  Uncle  Byle  heft  him 
once.  Gosh,  baby,  you  want  to  grab  uncle's  nose, 
do  you  ?  Well,  then,  pull  away  till  the  cows  come 
home.  What's  'is  name  ?" 

"Richard,"  answered  the  mother. 

"Why  didn't  you  name  him  after  me?  P.  B. 
Arlington  would  sound  sort  of  uppercrusty,  eh? 
'Richard/  you  say?  Oh,  I  see.  Named  for  your 
daddy's  Orleens  brother,  the  cripple!  Yes!  yes! 
Did  Richard  leave  you  as  big  a  pile  of  money  as 
folks  say?  It  must  have  been  a  heavy  slam  on 
you,  Evaleen,  when  he  dropped  off.  Lucky,  too, 
in  another  pint  of  view ;  he's  better  off,  and  so  are 
you — lots  better  off." 

Danvers  and  Lucrece,  wishing  to  prevent  pos- 
thumous comments  on  Uncle  Richard,  came  to 
Evaleen's  rescue. 

"You  are  a  frequent  comer  to  this  island.  You 
know  its  products  and  topography?" 

"Topography,  yarbography,  bugology  and  the 
dickens  knows  wot  ology.  The  ground  is  jest 
kivered,  in  places  with  Injun  arrers,  and  pipes  and 
stone  hatchets,  and  I've  dug  up  some  of  the  durnd- 
est  queer-shaped  arthen  pots  you  ever  sot  eyes  on. 
Yes,  I  reckon  I  know  Bacchus  Island,  major." 

"Not  major,"  interrupted  Arlington.  "He  was 
promoted  after  the  battle  of  New  Orleans.  He  is 
now  Colonel  Danvers." 


338         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

"Jehoshaphat !  Let's  shake  hands  on  that,  Dan- 
vers.  No  resk  this  time,  Arlington,  is  there? 
You  recollect,  don't  you  ?  the  day  I  first  seed  you 
and  Hoopsnake  on  the  roof  of  his  flatboat  ?  I  read 
t'other  day  in  the  noospaper  that  Harry  Clay  met 
the  aforesaid  in  the  court-house  in  New  York. 
The  sarpent  put  out  his  hand,  but  Harry  wouldn't 
tech  it.  By  gum,  Clay  was  smarter  than  me." 

Danvers  and  Lucrece  looked  mystified.  Byle 
winked  at  Arlington. 

"Don't  tell  'em  my  disgrace.  So  cap's  a  colonel  ? 
This  is  a  surprise.  I'm  just  back  from  a  jant  to 
Cinc'natti.  Stayed  there  a  coon's  age  with  brother 
Virgil,  who  moved  down  from  the  Yok,  last  fall, 
and  went  into  the  pork  trade.  Virgil's  married, 
same  as  you  four,  but  I'll  be  dadbanged  if  he 
wasn't  fooled  in  his  woman.  I  tell  you,  Mrs. 
Danvers,  matrimony  ain't  always  sich  honey  in 
the  comb  as  Warren  is  swallerin'.  Virgil's  wife 
looks  nice,  but  Spanish  flies !  how  he  enjoys  her 
going  away  from  home.  Well,  that's  that.  I 
went  down  on  the  Enterprise.  You've  rid  in  a 
steamboat,  I  dare  say,  going  to  see  your  pa,  in 
Orleens?  How's  he?  I  forgot  to  ask.  They  say 
the  old  man's  got  to  be  stylisher  than  ever.  Jest 
run  slap  bang  into  rich  relations.  How  much  is 
the  doctor  wuth  ?  He  never  met  me,  but  they  say 
Deville  is  a  choice  mackerel,  for  a  Frenchman.  I 
was  about  to  say,  I  went  down  to  Cinc'natti  on  the 
Enterprise  last  December.  Best  boat  on  the  river, 


WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM    339 

Captain  Shreve  says,  and  the  fourth  one  built.  I 
have  saw  the  Orleens,  the  Comet  and  the  Vesu- 
vius, but  the  Enterprise  knocks  'em  all.  Keel- 
boats  and  barges  is  clean  cut  out." 

To  check  the  deluge  of  Byle's  conversation,  the 
picnickers  soon  took  occasion  to  shift  their 
ground  from  the  well  to  the  beautiful  green  plot 
which  had  been  the  carefully  kept  lawn  of  the 
Blennerhassett  premises. 

Raised  flowerbeds,  of  various  forms,  circular, 
crescent,  and  diamond,  could  still  be  traced, 
though  overgrown  with  grass  and  weeds.  These 
abandoned  garden  beds  furnished  convenient  seat- 
ing space  for  the  excursionists,  while  they  ate 
lunch  and  drank  water  fetched  from  the  old  well 
by  Plutarch.  The  conversation  reverted  to  Burr 
and  his  alleged  associates,  involving  the  name  of 
Wilkinson.  Danvers  defended  the  general  from 
severe  animadversions.  Arlington  had  no  pa- 
tience with  his  brother-in-law's  lenient  judgment. 

"Why,  Warren,  you,  a  colonel  in  the  regulars, 
must  know  Wilkinson  to  have  been  a  failure  every 
way.  Wasn't  he  court-martialed  last  spring,  after 
holding  the  command  of  the  Northern  army  less 
than  a  year?  He  blundered  in  all  he  undertook. 
He  was,  in  effect,  discharged  for  want  of  general- 
ship and  for  excess  in  wine." 

"I  admit  he  lost  laurels  in  the  late  war.  So  did 
many  others.  Jackson  and  Harrison  are  our 
heroes  now.  General  Wilkinson  was  acquitted  by 


340        A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

the  court-martial,  as  he  was  acquitted  in  1811  of 
charges  accusing  him  of  complicity  with  Burr." 

"Acquitted !  I  know  he  was  acquitted ;  so  was 
Burr ;  but  public  opinion  condemns  the  decision  of 
the  courts.  Before  the  bar  of  history  both  stand 
accused  and  sentenced.  They  are  guilty  alike. 
Wilkinson  seems  to  me  no  better  than  Burr. 
Perhaps  he  is  worse,  for  he  betrayed  his  com- 
rade." 

"Did  he  betray  Burr,  or  did  he  only  find  him 
out?  I  was  in  Wilkinson's  tent  when  Burr's  ci- 
pher letter  was  exposed.  Wilkinson  was  out- 
spoken in  denouncing  Burr." 

"Hold  yer  hosses.  Let  me  put  in  a  word  edge- 
ways, Captain  Danvers — 'scuse  me,  I  mean 
colonel.  You  spoke  of  Andy  Jackson.  He's  not 
my  stripe — I'm  a  Federalist  yist'day,  to-day  and 
forever — but  Old  Hickory  is  a  truth  teller.  What 
did  Jackson  say?  I  give  you  his  upside  dixit, 
word  for  word,  ex  litteratum,  as  they  say.  An- 
drew Jackson  says,  says  he,  'Whatever  may  have 
been  the  project  of  Burr,  James  Wilkinson  has 
went  hand  in  hand  with  him.'  " 

Mrs.  Arlington  introduced  a  new  topic  of  con- 
versation by  saying,  "I'll  not  believe  that  Mr. 
Blennerhassett  was  consciously  guilty." 

"No,  my  dear,  he  was  deluded.  Mr.  Wirt  is 
right  in  contending  that  Blennerhassett  was  com- 
paratively innocent,  'a  mere  accessory.'  " 

Here  Mr.  Byle  stood  up  and  began  rummaging 


WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM    341 

in  his  pockets.  The  mention  of  the  name  of  Blen- 
nerhassett  had  altered  his  mood  and  changed  his 
manner.  A  shade  of  seriousness  bordering  on 
melancholy  came  over  his  features.  He  slowly 
drew  from  the  poke  of  his  warmus  a  white  cam- 
bric handkerchief,  which  he  blinked  at  for  a  min- 
ute, and  then  replaced,  venting  an  audible  sigh. 
Long  he  listened  in  silence  to  remarks  about  the 
islanders  and  their  untoward  fate.  At  length  he 
broke  in  with : 

"I  told  Harman  before  he  sot  out  for  Eternal 
Smash  what  he  was  comin'  to.  He  wouldn't  take 
my  advice.  But,  gentlemen  and  ladies,  in  my 
opinion,  the  near-sighted  was  about  as  much  to 
blame  for  what  happened,  as  a  pewee  is  for  being 
swallered  by  a  black  snake.  Harman  lost  every- 
thing, as  I  told  him  he  would.  Fust  in  debt  heels 
over  head — then  the  house  burns — then  he  sells 
the  plantation.  Now  he's  tryin'  to  run  a  cotton- 
gin  down  about  Natchez.  The  boys  are  growin' 
up  no  account.  And  she — Jerusalem  artichokes ! 
What  a  shame  it  war  for  Margaret  to  throw  her- 
self away!" 

The  amused  expression  of  Arlington  indicated 
his  appreciation  of  Byle's  sentiments,  but  Eva- 
leen  could  not  smile  when  the  distress  of  her  much- 
beloved  friend  was  the  theme  of  conversation. 
The  rich,  beautiful,  commanding  lady,  who  had 
presided  like  an  Eastern  princess,  in  her  luxurious 
island  palace,  was  now  struggling  with  adverse 


342         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

fate,  on  a  cotton  plantation,  near  Port  Gibson, 
Mississippi.  Recollecting  the  downfall  and  hu- 
miliation of  Madam  Blennerhassett,  Evaleen 
sighed  and  cast  her  gaze  mournfully  toward  the 
spot  upon  which  had  stood  the  stately  mansion, 
which  had  been  to  her  a  second  home.  But  on 
that  May  day  in  1815,  could  she  have  lifted  the 
veil  of  the  future,  events  far  more  depressing 
would  have  been  disclosed.  She  would  have  be- 
held the  former  lord  of  the  isle,  landless,  harassed 
by  debts,  now  in  Natchez,  now  in  New  York,  and 
now  in  Canada,  unsuccessfully  attempting  the 
practice  of  the  law.  He  made  a  voyage  to  Ireland, 
returned  to  Montreal,  and  then  again  crossed  the 
ocean  to  reside  with  his  maiden  sister,  Avis,  on 
the  Isle  of  Jersey.  His  wife  shared  his  disap- 
pointments and  sorrows,  and  it  was  on  her  faith- 
ful bosom  that  he  breathed  his  last  at  Port  Prerie, 
Guernsey,  in  1831.  Ten  years  later,  the  widow, 
having  returned  to  the  United  States  destitute, 
forlorn,  her  health  gone,  her  beauty  faded,  took  up 
lodgings  in  a  poor  tenement-house  in  the  city  of 
New  York — and  it  was  here  that  she  died,  for- 
saken by  fortune  and  by  friends.  Such  were  the 
crown  of  thorns  and  the  crucifixion  of  Margaret 
Blennerhassett,  who  aspired  to  wear  the  coronet 
of  a  duchess  in  the  court  of  Aaron  the  Emperor. 
The  sons,  Dominick  and  Harman,  were  reserved 
to  fates  not  less  abortive  and  wretched.  The 
first  entered  the  navy  as  surgeon-mate,  but  was 


WHAT  BECAME  OF  THEM    343 

discharged  for  drunkenness.  He  died  in  penury, 
an  outcast.  Harman  became  a  portrait  painter  in 
New  York,  but  he  lost  his  strength  of  body  and 
mind,  and  finally  perished  in  an  almshouse  on 
Blackwell's  Island.  His  body  lies  buried  beside 
that  of  his  mother,  in  the  family  vault  of  Emmet, 
the  Irish  patriot,  in  the  ''Marble  Cemetery,"  New 
York. 

Well  was  it  that  the  Book  of  Fate,  in  which 
was  written  the  story  of  the  House  of  Blenner- 
hassett,  was  not  opened  to  Evaleen,  for  had  she 
read  therein,  the  revelation  would  have  turned  the 
day's  pensive  melancholy  into  poignant  grief. 

Moved  by  a  common  impulse  of  commisera- 
tion, and  by  reverential  regard  akin  to  such  as  one 
feels  when  standing  beside  the  tomb  of  a  dear 
friend,  the  married  couples  and  the  lank  bachelor 
bent  their  steps  from  the  lawn  to  the  rubble- 
strown  site  of  the  burnt  mansion-house.  The 
foundation  stones  indicated  the  size  and  location 
of  the  several  rooms  formerly  occupying  the 
ground  floor.  Danvers  and  his  wife  sat  down 
upon  the  sandstone  steps  leading,  in  bygone  days, 
to  the  wide  hall  door.  The  three  little  girls  were 
at  play  in  the  paths  of  the  ruined  shrubbery ;  Eva- 
leen's  baby  boy  lay  asleep  on  the  lap  of  Lucrece. 

Arlington  and  Evaleen  stepped  across  the 
crumbling  foundation  wall,  and  a  few  short  paces 
brought  them  to  the  middle  of  the  square  area 
once  covered  by  the  floor  of  the  reception  room. 


344         A  DREAM  OF  EMPIRE 

A  bunch  of  wild  violets,  in  bloom,  grew  in  the 
charred  leaf  mould  at  their  feet.  The  wife  plucked 
one  of  the  flowers,  and  gave  it  into  the  hand  of 
her  constant  lover. 

"Here  is  just  where  you  stood  when  we  met  for 
the  first  time,  love ;  do  you  remember  ?  And  look, 
Chester,"  she  pointed  upward  to  the  empty  space 
once  enclosed  in  the  walls  of  Lady  Blennerhas- 
sett's  bower,  "right  up  there  is  the  window 
through  which  we  watched  you  go  away  in  the 
moonlight." 

"Yes,  darling ;  there  you  stood,  caring  very  lit- 
tle whether  or  not  we  should  ever  meet  again.  It 
is  exactly  ten  years  since  the  day  you — didn't  kiss 
me.  Do  it  now." 

"Hold  on  for  about  three  shakes  of  a  sheep's 
tail.  Then  fire  away  when  I'm  gone.  I  want  to 
tell  you,  Chester,  here  is  just  the  spot  where  I 
stood  when  I  fit  for  her — " 

"Fought  for  my  wife?" 

"No,  for  Harman's  wife."  Byle  took  out  the 
handkerchief  again,  and  Evaleen  thought  he  in- 
tended to  tell  its  history. 

"That  is  a  fine  piece  of  cambric.  It  looks  like  a 
lady's  token." 

"This  hankercher?" 

"Yes." 

Plutarch  gulped  down  a  big  emotion. 

"It's  a  thumb-stall." 

THE  END. 


A     000  036  242     6 


